Beginnings
by Lily Smith
Summary: Prequel to my story, Harry Potter and the Crystal of Gryffindor. Basically the story of what my character, Cadance, was doing during In the time leading up to the first Harry Potter book, and then throughout the first four. Give it a read!
1. A Beginning

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!

**A/N: This is the story I wrote as the prequel to my first story, _Harry Potter and the Crystal of Gryffindor_. It mainly follows my character, Cadance, and my sister's character, Cati. _Harry Potter and the Crystal of Gryffindor_ was something I began after the 4th book came out, and it follows Harry's 5th-7th years and has a sequel called _As Strong As We Are United_. It is not necessary to have read either of them to understand what is going on. This shows what Cadance and Cati were doing while Harry was at the Dursleys' and in his first four years of Hogwarts and it will end right where _Harry Potter and the Crystal of Gryffindor_ picks up. Happy reading!**

Most stories have a beginning and most stories have an ending. This story's ending is the beginning of another; one that starts when Harry Potter meets Cadance Dumbledore for the very first time. So if you want to know how this story turns out, I suppose you can just read that one.

But if you want to hear a tale of trials, tribulations, competition, relationships, and, of course, magic then keep on reading.

And just as this story ends with a beginning, it begins with an end—the end of the lives of four people, and though their stories are over, the stories of their children kept going.

* * *

"Mom!" shrieked Cadance Dumbledore as her mother pulled her Auroring robes out of her closet. Cadance's father was already dressed. They had been contacted not five minutes earlier. The Ministry was sending them on an all-night assignment. They would have to leave within the hour.

"Go ahead, Cadance, and keep throwing that tantrum," said Abigail Dumbledore to her 8-year-old daughter. "It's not going to change anything."

"Don't go," whined Cadance.

Abigail paused for a second. She knew fully well that her daughter inherited Sorceress Powers from her husband's side of the family. Cadance, like her father, was able to do magic without a wand. One of these Sorceress powers was a keen sense of perception. If she was having a bad feeling about this…

…but Abigail dismissed the thought. "She's just angry because I can't watch _Sleeping Beauty_ with her tonight like I promised," she thought to herself.

"Go bother your father," said Abigail. "I have to get dressed."

Cadance let out of a cry of frustration and stormed out of the room. She slammed the door to her mother and father's bedroom on the way out, and went to find her father, Scott Dumbledore. He was in the kitchen holding Jennifer, their 3-month-old daughter. He was swaying back and forth, trying to get her to fall back asleep.

"Dad, I need to talk to you," said Cadance, watching not to talk too loud so that she wouldn't disturb her baby sister.

"What is it, dear?" asked Scott.

"I don't want you to go," said Cadance.

"I know you don't," said Scott. "But we have to."

"I don't feel good," said Cadance.

"Honey, you and Sirius are going to have fun tonight. You'll see," said Scott reassuringly.

"But…" began Cadance.

"No buts, young lady," interrupted Scott. "Now go clean your room."

* * *

Meanwhile, in another nearby town…

"Catalin, don't use magic in the yard," said Cati's mother, Faith Nuperson.

"The muggles will see you," said her father, David.

Catalin, 8-years-old, dejectedly lowered her arm, and with it the flowers that were zooming around her fell as well. "Awww, Mom," she whined.

"Cati, Drew, come in here," said Faith.

Cati and her 12-year-old brother followed them into the house. It was in a muggle neighborhood because David was muggle-born. Cati and Drew didn't really know their neighbors. They kept to themselves around them so they wouldn't suspect them of being _unusual_. It wasn't easy because Cati and her mother had Sorceress powers. Drew didn't inherit the powers from his mother, because in her lineage, only the girls inherited the Sorceress powers, unlike the Dumbledore family where both boys and girls inherited the powers. Faith knew better than to use her powers out in the yard. Cati, however, had problems with self-control.

"Kids, I know we promised we'd spend the evening together, but our division is being sent on an all-night mission," said David.

"That's not fair!" exclaimed Drew. "You asked for the night off!"

"I know, honey, but it can't be helped," said Faith.

"Your Uncle Severus will be here to watch you," said David, referring to Faith's brother, Severus Snape, who was the Potion's Master at Hogwarts.

"If he makes me do my summer potions homework this early in the summer, I'm going to scream," said Drew.

"I like it when Uncle Severus baby-sits," said Cati. "He's funny."

Faith smiled and shook her head. She found it hard to believe that anyone found her younger brother funny. "Alright then," said Faith. "You two behave yourself."

"Always do," said Drew.

"Hardly," said Faith cocking an eyebrow.

* * *

"Sirius, they're both a little fussy," said Abigail as she handed Jen over to him.

"Why is that?" asked Sirius Black, one of the Dumbledore's neighbors. Fresh from Auror Training, Sirius had an air of innocence about him. But that was only to hide his terrible mischievousness. However, with the Potters' taking care of their own kid and Remus Lupin being tired from last night's full moon, Sirius's mischievousness was not considered an issue since he was the best available babysitter. Plus, he loved the girls and they loved him.

"Why so fussy?" asked Sirius. Cadance glared at her parents.

"She's mad we're leaving," said David as Abigail tie his necktie that he had to wear as part of his Auroring uniform. She tightened it for him.

"Will you watch _Sleeping Beauty_ with her, Sirius?" asked Abigail as she put her foot up on the table to zip up one of her white Auroring boots. Scott loosened his tie.

"Sure," said Sirius.

"And if there are any problems, Albus says you can call him out of his meeting," said Abigail referring to Albus Dumbledore, Scott's uncle and the Headmaster of Hogwarts. He, too, had Sorcerer Powers characteristic of Scott's side of the family. Abigail turned to Scott and tightened his tie and straightened it.

"If it's something really serious, he can get a hold of the Ministry and they can get a message to us," said Scott as he bent down to zip up his wife's other Auroring boot for her.

"Alright, I guess that's everything," said Abigail. She kissed Jen's forehead then turned to Cadance. "Goodnight, honey." She bent down and kissed the top of her head.

"Bye, Mom," responded Cadance dejectedly. Her father affectionately patted her head then bent down and gave her a hug. "Bye, Dad."

"Behave for Sirius," said Scott.

"We love you," said Abigail.

"I love you, too," said Cadance.

* * *

"Uncle Severus!" exclaimed Cati excitedly as her uncle entered the house through the fireplace. She got a running start and slid into his leg, attaching herself to it.

"Remove yourself from my appendage," said Snape icily.

"What does that mean?" asked Cati looking up at him.

Snape sighed and bent down to pick her up. He carried her under his arm and plopped her down on the couch. "Sit there and be quiet for a while," he said.

"Oh, you know you like me," piped Cati.

"I liked you better when you couldn't talk," said Snape.

Now don't mistake Snape's iciness for distaste. He was rather fond of his sister and her kids and even tolerated Faith's muggle-born husband (though not in public). He just didn't know how to respond to children when he couldn't take house points from them— especially when they would probably be sorted into Gryffindor. Make no mistake about it; Cati would be in Gryffindor just like her brother currently was and both of her parents used to be.

"Sev," said Faith as she bounced into the room.

"Faith," said Snape. Faith was pulling on her Auroring robes over her Auroring uniform. She collapsed into a chair and put her feet up on the coffee table. She quickly zipped up her boots.

Just then Abigail and Scott Dumbledore rolled out of the fireplace. They brushed themselves off. "David!" exclaimed Faith. "They're here! Let's go!"

David came stomping down the stairs. He was quickly tying his tie. "Ready?" he asked.

"Kids! We're leaving!" exclaimed Faith. Drew came into the room. Faith and David kissed their children and said goodbye.

They got Floo Powder and David, Faith, Scott, and Abigail got ready to be transported to the Ministry. Right before Faith climbed into the fireplace, Snape grabbed her arm. "Faith," said Snape. He paused. "Be careful."

Faith gave her brother a crooked smile and touched his shoulder. "You worry too much. I'm the older sibling; I should be worrying about you." She gave him a quick peck on the cheek and was off.

* * *

Cadance sat on the couch staring angrily at Sirius. Her bright blue eyes bore into the back of his head as he struggled with the VCR. Jen was asleep in her playpen next to the couch. "How much longer?" asked Cadance exasperatedly.

"Cadance, I have no idea what I am doing," said Sirius, who had been struggling with it for 15 minutes.

"You promised we could watch _Sleeping Beauty_," said Cadance.

"Well, do _you_ know how to work the VCR?" asked Sirius. Cadance shook her head. Her strawberry-blonde wavy hair whipped with the movement of her head. "Then be quiet for a minute."

"You're all liars," said Cadance sulkily.

"Excuse me?" asked Sirius turning around. He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Adults," said Cadance. "You all lie."

"You better watch you mouth or I'll knock you into a sequel," said Sirius. Cadance looked confused. "There's always a sequel."

"You won't knock me anywhere, Sirius," said Cadance without making eye contact.

Sirius sat down next to Cadance. "Do you want to tell me what's really bothering you?" he asked.

"I don't feel good about them going," said Cadance.

"I know you wanted them to stay…" began Sirius.

"No, that's not it," said Cadance. "It's not about them _staying_. It's about them _going_. I don't feel good about it."

Sirius looked at her, not knowing what to say. He paused for a second then he said, "Hey, I've got an idea. Why don't I call Lily? She'll be able to get the VCR to work."

"Ok," said Cadance.

* * *

Severus Snape was beginning to wonder why he had agreed to watch his niece and nephew in the first place. He was sitting on the couch while Cati was jumping on it. "Why me?" thought Snape. "Is this punishment for joining the Dark side? Because I swear I'm on the good side now."

"Hey Uncle Severus, "said Cati, still hopping up and down as she interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes?" he asked icily.

"Where do babies come from?" she asked.

Snape slowly turned to look at her. He just sneered at her, because he didn't know what else to do.

Drew, who was sitting in the chair reading a comic book, snorted and tried to hide his laughter by burying his nose in his book. Snape turned to Drew. "Go and do your potions homework," hissed Snape. Drew rolled his eyes and slunk out of the room.

"I'm waiting," said Cati with annoyance as she continued to bounce.

"For what?" asked Snape.

"For you to tell me where babies come from," she said.

"Well, I'm waiting for you to fall off the couch," said Snape.

"I'm not going to fall," responded Cati.

"And I'm not going to tell you where babies come from," said Snape.

"How about puppies?"

Snape sighed. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"Sirius, what did you do?" asked Lily with annoyance. The TV was pulled out a little and Lily was behind it trying to reconnect the wires. Within five minutes of arriving, Lily had discovered that the VCR wasn't properly hooked up.

"Well, I couldn't get it to work, so I started moving the wires around," said Sirius.

Lily glanced over at the couch. Cadance had fallen asleep with her head on the arm of the couch. "Well, she seems to be asleep, so I guess it doesn't matter now," said Lily. She climbed out from behind the TV.

Suddenly Cadance woke with a start and let out an ear-piercing shriek. "Whoa, okay," said Sirius. "We'll fix it, we'll fix it! Geez, all this over _Sleeping Beauty_."

Lily, however, was by Cadance's side in a second. "Cadance, what's wrong?" she asked.

Cadance threw her arms around Lily's neck. "Something bad just happened," she cried.

"Sirius, get Dumbledore," said Lily.

"That won't be necessary, Lily," said a soft voice behind them. They turned around to find Albus Dumbledore already standing there. Cadance released Lily and ran over to her grand-uncle. He stooped down a bit so she could jump into his arms. She began crying on his shoulder. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Professor…" said Lily tentatively.

"They're dead," sobbed Cadance. Dumbledore caught Lily's eye and gave a small, sad nod.

"Lily, come take Cadance," said Dumbledore. "I want to talk to Sirius in the kitchen for a few minutes."

Lily helped Cadance walk over to the couch as Sirius followed Dumbledore into the kitchen. "Professor Dumbledore," said Sirius. "She's 8. She can't be right!"

"I was in the Ministry when the news came in," said Dumbledore. "Their entire unit… they're all gone. They didn't stand a chance. Minerva is breaking the news to the Nuperson children right now."

"Cadance didn't want them to go," said Sirius. "She could feel it. Poor kid."

"Sirius, I need you to do something for me, "said Dumbledore.

"Anything, sir" said Sirius.

"Cadance and Jen," said Dumbledore. "I'm all they have left. Of course, I'll take them. But I can't yet. Until I can, will you take care of them?"

"Of course," said Sirius. "Of course I will."

"Thank you," said Dumbledore.

"Professor," said Sirius slowly. "I'm so sorry." Dumbledore nodded, then Apparated out.

Sirius walked into the living room. Cadance had cried herself to sleep and was lying on the couch. Lily was rubbing her back soothingly. "I'm going to stay with them for a while," he said.

"Are they really dead?" asked Lily, as she stood.

Sirius nodded. "Faith and David, too," he said. "Along with the rest of the unit."

Sirius and Lily hugged. "Pretty soon we'll be the only ones left in the neighborhood," said Lily. There had been an unusually large number of deaths around there lately. There were at least ten houses standing empty.

"It's going to be okay," said Sirius.

"I'd better get back to James and Harry," said Lily. "I'll come back first thing in the morning to help you with the girls." She walked out the front door and down the street to her house.

* * *

The summer passed. Drew returned to Hogwarts. Sirius continued to keep and eye on the Dumbledore girls with the help of James, Lily, Remus, and Cadance's Godmother, Arabella Figg. Cati, too, joined Cadance and Jen most days when Snape had to return to Hogwarts. The other days she was with her paternal muggle grandparents.

One day, just before Halloween, Dumbledore showed up at Sirius's home in Godric's Hollow. Cadance and Cati were playing a board game on the floor, clearly unaware of the rules of the game and making them up as they went along. Sirius was in the kitchen feeding Jen a bottle.

"Sirius, a word?" asked Dumbledore.

"Is it about the girls?" asked Sirius.

"Not quite," said Dumbledore lowering his voice. "I talked Lily and James into going into hiding. The Order has received news, through sources unnamed, that they have climbed up a few rungs on Voldemort's hate ladder."

"Are you using the Fidelus Charm?" asked Sirius.

"That's the plan," said Dumbledore. "James hopes to perform it tonight. I offered to be their Secret-Keeper. But… Sirius, they want you."

Sirius paused. "I'm the first person anyone would suspect," he said. "I'll talk to him."

"Good idea," said Dumbledore. "And I am under orders from Molly Weasley to tell you to bring the girls to her house on Halloween. She promises to have cookies."

"I have to work in the afternoon," said Sirius. "I'll talk to her about it."

"And how have the girls been?" asked Dumbledore.

"They've been good," said Sirius passing Jen to him.

"I promise this arrangement won't be for much longer," said Dumbledore.

"It's alright," said Sirius.

"I will bring them to Hogwarts soon," continued Dumbledore. "I just need to make arrangements for when I'm working."

"I'll help out when I can," offered Sirius.

"Thank you," said Dumbledore. He handed Jen back to Sirius. "But now I have to get back to Hogwarts."

"Goodbye, Albus," said Sirius.

Dumbledore clapped him on his shoulder before Apparating out, not knowing that this would be the last time he would see Sirius Black for a very long time.

* * *

"Sirius!" exclaimed Cadance happily as she ran up to him as he walked through the Weasley's door the evening of Halloween. He had dropped her and Jen off at the Weasley's house just after lunch. He then returned home to get ready for work. Now that his shift was over, he returned to the Weasley's.

Cadance had bonded with Sirius over the past couple of weeks. She had started getting pouty and moody for a while every time Sirius had to go to work. After he had dropped her off that afternoon, Cadance had acted dejected until Mrs. Weasley gave her some cookies.

"Hey, sunshine," said Sirius putting his motorcycle helmet aside and braced himself as she jumped into his arms. "Having fun?"

"Yep!" exclaimed Cadance.

Sirius carried her into the kitchen where Mrs. Weasley was cooking and set her down. "Hey, Molly," he said.

"Oh, hello, Sirius," she said. "How was work, dear?"

"Hell."

"Have a cookie," Mrs. Weasley offered.

"That's the ticket," said Sirius grabbing a cookie and taking a bite.

"Sirius, I'm going to play with Percy," piped Cadance.

"Knock yourself out, kid," answered Sirius. He watched her run into the living room. "How did the girls behave today?" he asked Mrs. Weasley.

"They were wonderful," she answered. "Jen didn't make a sound. And Cadance and Percy and the twins ran around outside all day. I was worried Cadance wouldn't have as much fun with Bill and Charlie away at Hogwarts, but that doesn't seem to be a problem." Mrs. Weasley paused for a second then chuckled. "You know, when she was helping me feed Jen and Ginny their bottles, she told me that you don't let her feed Jen that much at home because you're a baby-hog."

"Yeah, we fight over Jen at home," said Sirius grinning.

"It sounds like…" began Mrs. Weasley before she was cut off by an ear-piercing shriek. "What in heaven's name….?"

Suddenly, Cadance came running, screaming, into the room. She jumped up into Sirius's arms and began talking really quickly. "Sirius, they're dead. Oh, Sirius, they're dead," she sobbed hysterically.

"What's going on?" asked Mrs. Weasley with worry in her voice. Percy came walking tentatively into the room to see why Cadance had run away screaming.

"Oh God," said Sirius. He put her down and rushed into the hallway with Mrs. Weasley and Cadance at his heels. He picked up his helmet and opened the front door. It was dark outside, but the light from the front door fell on his flying motorcycle. Sirius dropped to one knee in front of Cadance and pulled her into a hug. Then he grabbed her face so that she was looking right in his eyes. "Cadance, listen. Someone will come for you later. Just wait her and behave." Then he ran out the door and hopped on his motorcycle. Before he reached the end of the driveway, he and the motorcycle had vanished.

* * *

About a week later, Cadance and Cati sat in Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore sat behind his desk holding Jen. Snape and McGonagall stood by him. "Girls," said McGonagall slowly. "How would you two feel about living here at Hogwarts?"

"What about Sirius?" asked Cadance.

"Cadance, we've been over this," said Dumbledore.

Cadance looked at the floor. "Okay," she said.

"Then it's settled," said Dumbledore. "Now why don't you go wait for us in the hallway? I need to talk to Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall." Cadance and Cati walked out and shut the door behind them.

"Albus," said McGonagall. "Did you talk to the Ministry about Jen?"

Dumbledore looked at the baby in his arms. "Yes," said Dumbledore. But I don't know if I want to do it"

"Do what?" asked Snape.

"The Ministry offered to put Jen in a muggle orphanage until she is old enough to attend Hogwarts," said McGonagall.

"Why would you want to do that?" asked Snape.

"For the same reason Harry Potter got sent to live with the muggles," said McGonagall. "Because she's alone and it's easier to keep our world a secret from her until she's ready. How do you explain to her where her parents are when she asks?"

"But she'd be with muggles," said Snape.

"But how can I raise a baby? Minerva's right," said Dumbledore. "I couldn't be with her while I'm working. And pretty soon she'll get her Sorceress powers. Demons will start attacking then. And she won't have parents to get her through this. No, it's better if this all waits until she's older. I'll bind her powers and the Ministry will keep track of her until she's eleven and comes to Hogwarts. They'll put charms on her so that demons can't find her. It's for the best."


	2. Hogwarts Days Part 1

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!

A/N: And the story continues….

Years passed. Cadance and Cati joined the ranks of the Gryffindor. They joined the Gryffindor Quidditch Team in their second year. It is at the end of that year, at Quidditch practice, where our story picks up again.

"Hey, Nuperson!" exclaimed 7th-year Keeper and Captain, Gwen McGrady. "Bring it in!" She was on the ground and most of the rest of the team was already heading towards her. Only Cati was still flying around the Pitch. She leaned forward on the broomstick, going into a nosedive. She pulled out of it at the last possible second, gracefully sliding off of her broom and landing with a soft thud. She walked over to her teammates where Morgouse McGrady promptly smacked her upside her head.

"Don't do dangerous shit the day before the Quidditch Final!" she exclaimed. Morgouse was Gwen's sister and a Chaser on the team. Gwen, Morgouse, and their other sister Elaine were triplets. Elaine was not on the Quidditch Team. She was more academically-focused and Head Girl.

Gwen, Morgouse, and Elaine were quasi-distantly related to Cadance on her mother's side. The triplets were, like Cadance and Cati and so many others, orphaned from the war with Voldemort. Their mother and Cadance's mother were 2nd cousins and very close. When not at Hogwarts, Gwen, Morgouse, and Elaine lived with their father's aunt. Gwen was the competitive, hot-headed one. Elaine was scholarly and calm. Morgouse was the balance between them.

"Alright, gang," said Gwen. "Tomorrow's the big day. We've been waiting for this day all season. The Slytherin team will play dirty. Well, if it's a dirty game they want, then it's a dirty game we'll give them."

"Uh oh," said 5th-year Seeker Charlie Weasley. "This doesn't sound good."

"Do you want us to go fling mud at them before the game?" asked 6th-year Chaser Kala Tomlinson.

"I don't think that's quite what she means by dirty," said Matthew Spinnet, a 4th-Year and the final Chaser on the team.

"Here's what we can expect from Slytherin," continued Gwen. First, our Chasers are better, and they know that. They're going to rely on their Seeker to catch the snitch early before we can get too many points or else they'll be in danger of losing the House cup though they won the match. Now, their Beaters are pretty strong so, Charlie, watch out. They might try to take you out early to keep you from getting to the snitch. Watch out for illegal moves." She paused and turned to Cadance and Cati; the two Beaters and the youngest on the team. "Their Beaters are stronger than you two; that's for sure. But you two are faster and have better aim. Don't let a bludger near Charlie until he catches that snitch!"

"Okay, but what about _after_ he catches the snitch?" asked Cati. "Then it's okay?"

"I don't care, as long as he catches it!" said Gwen throwing her hands up in exasperation.

"Aye aye, Captain!" exclaimed Cadance as she and Cati gave Gwen a mock salute.

"Alright," said Gwen. "Now hit the showers and go to bed. I want all of you to be well-rested for tomorrow."

* * *

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the Quidditch Final!" shouted Commentator Christopher Abbot of Ravenclaw. "Gryffindor vs. Slytherin!"

On the field, Cadance stood between Cati and Gwen and looked around. The Slytherin Team seemed huge compared to the mostly-girl Gryffindor Team. Cadance could just picture the broken bones the Slytherin Beaters could cause. She gulped and looked over at Cati, who winked at her.

Madame Hooch blew her whistle and the players rose quickly and gracefully into the air. Cadance and Cati immediately flew to opposite sides of the Pitch as they had done in practice.

"And the quaffle is taken immediately by Slytherin!" exclaimed Abbot. "Callaghan passes to Hunter! Hunter shoots! No dice! Quaffle is blocked by Gryffindor Keeper McGrady who passes it to Tomlinson! Gryffindor in possession."

Kala was moving towards the Slytherin goals. Cati hit a bludger at one of the Slytherin Chasers. He had to dodge to the side to avoid being hit. This gave Kala enough time to shoot.

"Tomlinson scores!" exclaimed Abbot. "10-0 Gryffindor!"

Cadance looked around her for Charlie. He was flying high above them. The Slytherin Seeker was tailing him closely, rather than look for the snitch himself. Cadance smiled to herself as she hit a bludger at one of the Slytherin Chasers. Charlie could easily beat the Slytherin Seeker to the snitch.

Cadance's thoughts were interrupted by gasps and boos from the Gryffindor supporters. Madame Hooch's whistle pierced the air. Cadance looked around to try to find out what happened. Suddenly, she sensed Charlie at her shoulder. "What's going on?" she asked him.

Charlie pointed over at the other end of the Pitch where Matt was hanging off his broomstick with one hand. "One of the Slytherin Beaters 'accidentally' ran into him," he answered.

Matt had one hand firmly around the broomstick. Kala grabbed his other arm to help him. He swung one leg up over the broomstick and in another second or two was safely on his broomstick.

"Hooch wants everyone on the ground," said Charlie pointing to Hooch. She was indicating for everyone to land. Charlie and Cadance swooped down and joined the rest of their team on the ground.

"Hey, Matt, you okay?" asked Charlie as they all crowded close together so they could hear each other over Madame Hooch's creaming.

"That crazy bastard!" exclaimed Matt. "I didn't even see him coming!"

"Don't tell me that," said Gwen. "I'd like to think that all my players are completely observant during the Quidditch Final."

"So are we going to avenge this?" asked Morgouse. "You were talking about playing dirty yesterday."

Kala reached down and grabbed some mud from the field and pulled her arm back. "No, Kala!" exclaimed Charlie, grabbing her arm.

"I got this one," said Cati with a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"Okay," said Gwen. She looked at Charlie. "Just catch me that damn snitch."

Madame Hooch's whistle blew again. Christopher Abbot's voice interrupted their team meeting. "And as soon as they're in the air, Matt Spinnet of Gryffindor will be taking a penalty shot."

"Alright, gang," said Gwen mounting her broom. "Go get 'em."

Cati and Cadance locked eyes for a second before taking off. Cati winked and cracked a half-smile. "This can't end well," thought Cadance as she took off.

She watched as Matt made his penalty shot. She hit a bludger at the Slytherin Keeper as Morgouse intercepted the quaffle and scored again. "30-0 Gryffindor!" shouted Abbot.

Suddenly, Cadance felt something whiz by her head. She gave a start and grabbed onto her broom to keep from falling off. Looking forward, she saw that it had been a Bludger. She watched as it smacked into one of the Slytherin Beaters' head. He cracked his face off of the handle of his broomstick. His nose began to bleed. The Slytherins immediately began calling for a penalty, and, sure enough, Madame Hooch's whistle blew. One of the Slytherin Chasers got to take a penalty shot, which he made.

Cadance took the opportunity to fly close to Cati. "Nice aim, Cate!" exclaimed Cadance.

"What?" asked Cati. "He _ran into_ that bludger." She winked and they parted ways.

Suddenly, Cadance noticed Charlie change directions quickly. He went into a dive. He had seen the snitch! The Slytherin Seeker was right on his tail. Cadance closed her eyes until she heard the crowd erupt into cheers. When she opened them, she saw Charlie had his fist raised in the air. The team was all barreling towards him. Cadance joined them. Gwen was crying. They landed as the crowd flooded the field. Matt grabbed Kala and spun her around. Gwen smiled and took the cup from Dumbledore.

McGonagall was crying as well. Elaine nudged her with her elbow and passed her a handkerchief. Dumbledore smiled at Cadance and patted her shoulder. She smiled back at him. When around the other students, this was about the extent of their displays of affection. Cadance had a deep respect for her great-uncle and his position and didn't want anyone to accuse him of treating her differently.

Cati, however, while still having a certain degree of respect for her Uncle Severus, could not be prevented from running up to him, pulling him in a big hug and shouting joyfully, "We beat you!" He sneered at her.

Cadance looked around and smiled. Life was good.

* * *

"Wake up, Cadance!" screamed a voice in her ear. Cadance, now almost 16, sat bolt upright in bed and looked into the eyes of her cousin Gwen, her abrupt awakener.

A few years had passed. I'm not going to lie to you and say nothing eventful happened. Gryffindor won two more Quidditch Cups, but lost a third because Charlie wasn't there anymore. There was also an incident involving a particularly nasty demon and Cadance and Cati calling in Aurors from the Ministry as back-up. And Cati ran into a spot of trouble trying to break into the Slytherin Common Room one night; she had never been caught before. And of course, we can't forget to make mention of the incident where an older boy put the moves on Cadance and Charlie came close to beating him senseless, and probably would have managed it had McGonagall not happened by at precisely that moment.

Currently, Cadance was spending the summer with her Godmother, Arabella Figg. Cati was off with Drew. And Gwen, Morgouse, and Elaine were all in Cadance's room staring at her expectantly.

"What?" asked Cadance sleepily.

"Did you forget?" asked Gwen. "Today's the day you're supposed to come to Hogwarts with us!"

Cadance groaned. "Can't we do it later?" asked Cadance. "Like, next week? We barely got out for the summer. My uncle can't miss me too much yet. And I want to go back to sleep!"

"No, it has to be today!" exclaimed Elaine.

"Why?" asked Cadance.

"Because," said Morgouse.

Five minutes later, Cadance was dressed and ready to go. "Arabella, what the heck is going on?" she asked her Godmother. "I just left Hogwarts a few weeks ago, but Morgouse, Elaine, and Gwen are insisting I go visit Uncle Albus. I'm going to be here _all_ summer. Are they going to do this, like, every week?"

"Cadance, dear, they just want to spend some time with you," said Arabella. "They're just using Albus as an excuse. You know they're kept busy at work."

Even though it didn't make sense to Cadance, she allowed herself to be ushered back to Hogwarts by her three cousins as soon as they bounced back into the room. They rolled out of the fireplace in Dumbledore's office; Gwen, Morgouse, and Elaine more energetically than Cadance, who was still sleepy.

"Well, hello, girls," said Dumbledore cheerfully from behind his desk. He stood up to receive them. He flicked his wand and two more chairs appeared next to the two chairs that were already in front of his desk. He waited until all four girls were seated before sitting back down himself. "Cadance, have you been enjoying yourself?"

"Yeah, except I'd probably be enjoying myself more if Arabella wouldn't have stopped letting me beat her at card games. She keeps kicking my butt at cribbage," answered Cadance.

"And how about you girls?" asked Dumbledore, directing his question at the triplets. "How are things in the Auroring Department? Keeping out of trouble, I hope." Dumbledore, though he was not related to these three girls, and who's only connection to them was through Cadance, still retained a certain affection for them. They were, after all, alone in the world, as their aunt recently passed away.

"Well, now that you mention it," began Morgouse. "Just recently…"

Meanwhile, bat at Arabella's house, Arabella was quickly putting covers over her furniture and getting out little doilies and knick-knacks. Her usually long, straight hair was swept back into what can only be described as a 'Grandma hairstyle'. She also put on some frumpy clothes and orthopedic shoes. She had just perched a pair of glasses on her nose when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it with a warm smile, but then she breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, Minerva, it's just you." She stood aside and let Professor Minerva McGonagall inside.

"Is he here yet, Arabella?" she asked.

"No, not yet," said Arabella, as she shut the door.

"Why are you dressed like that?" asked McGonagall as she appraised her younger friend's appearance in the living room.

"Those awful muggles wouldn't let him come over if they thought he'd have fun, so I had to make it seem as though he'd have an awfully boring time here," said Arabella. "I couldn't bear to watch them drag the poor child off to verbally abuse him as they celebrated that fat, little, dopey son of theirs birthday. I followed them last year. They took them to a restaurant with video games and they barely fed the poor boy and they wouldn't let him play! At least this will give him some time away from them."

"But how did you convince them?" asked McGonagall.

"Well, I put on this muggle get-up once a day for a week and went over when they were in the garden and offered my baby-sitting services," said Arabella. "And when that didn't work, I used magic."

McGonagall shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure this is a good idea, Arabella," she said. "Something could go wrong. Cadance could come back early. How do you think she would react if she found out that you live just two streets away from Lily and James's boy and she never knew? And especially if she's staying with you all summer. How are you going to keep this from her?"

"I've got Morgouse, Gwen, and Elaine keeping her away for the day," said Arabella. "And she wouldn't have to be here at all if you lot up at that castle hadn't sent her and Cati away for the summer."

"Arabella, what with all that's going on with the Ministry and Hogwarts, they can't stay around there!" argued McGonagall. "You know the Ministry is trying to discredit Albus. They're talking of positioning one of their own in the Defense Against the Dark Arts post to try to influence him. Cadance and Cati don't need to be around that. There are Ministry members floating in and out daily."

"They're sixteen," said Arabella. "They're not children anymore. They can take it. They're more mature than most people their age. They've seen and done more, too."

"Mature, you say?" asked McGonagall skeptically. "Do you know what they do in their spare time at Hogwarts? They break rules and they pull pranks! They hold the record for the most detentions in a single year! I've never seen such troublemakers since Sirius Black, James Patter, and Remus Lupin! And look at where Sirius ended up!"

"Minerva," interrupted Arabella.

But McGonagall kept going. "And that's another thing! Cadance is laboring under the delusion that Sirius Black was never a Death Eater. Last summer, I caught her trying to sneak off to Hogsmeade to use Madame Rosmerta's fireplace to go visit him in Azkaban! Do you still think she's better off running loose up there or here under your watchful eyes?"

Arabella was about to open her mouth to respond when the doorbell rang. Arabella pulled out her wand and flicked it casually. Three of the throw pillows on the couch turned into cats. "Just to complete the effect," she said pocketing her wand. "Would you like to blend?"

Arabella walked to the door and paused before opening, just to check that McGonagall wasn't there anymore. Indeed, where the Deputy Headmistress had been standing seconds before, a 4th cat stood; this one a tabby with square markings around the eyes. "And I thought you didn't approve!" said Arabella raising an eyebrow. She opened the door. Before she could evens ay hello, a rather large arm roughly shoved a seven or eight-year-old boy into the house. He had bright green eyes and jet black hair. Arabella paused and then closed the door as the man who had brought the boy over started walking away.

"Oh, Harry, dear," said Arabella steering him over to the living room. "I'm Mrs. Figg. I hope you know how to play cribbage."

* * *

"And then we had to run for it," said Gwen. "But it all turned out alright." She had just finished recounting their most recent escapade. "Except we quit."

Cadance, who was leaning her back against the arm of the chair and had her legs swung over the other arm as she flipped aimlessly through one of her uncle's books. She gave a start and fell out of her chair. Dumbledore jumped to his feet and peered over the edge of his desk. "Are you okay?"

"You quit?" asked Cadance. "You can do that?"

"Yes, well, if they let you out of your contract early, you can," said Morgouse.

"And they really weren't all that sorry to see us go," said Elaine.

"Kind of eager actually," added Gwen. "When we told them we wanted out, they barely looked at our Auroring contract before they tore it up for us."

"But _why_?" asked Cadance incredulously, still on the floor.

"We were tired of the Ministry owning our _souls_," said Gwen dramatically. "Not with what is going on now.

"What's going on with the Ministry?" asked Cadance as her uncle helped her to her feet.

"I think it's time for tea," said Dumbledore trying to usher Cadance in front of him. Behind him, Elaine and Morgouse shoved Gwen threateningly.

"I saw that," said Cadance, stopping and holding on to the door frame so her uncle couldn't push her out. "What is going on?"

"Nothing, dear," said Dumbledore.

"Uncle Albus," said Cadance warningly. He sighed. "Please," she added.

"Sit down," he said.

"I don't want to," said Cadance. "What's going on?"

"You haven't been getting the _Daily Prophet_," said Dumbledore. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.

"Arabella's been keeping a low profile since she's living in a Muggle neighborhood. Owl Post is way too noticeable," said Cadance.

"No, Cadance. She stopped getting the Daily Prophet because I asked her to keep it from you," said Dumbledore. "And I asked your cousins as well."

"Sorry," said Gwen. "I didn't realize what I said was a slip-up!"

"What is it?" asked Cadance, getting annoyed.

"Well, you know they appointed a new Minister of Magic," said Dumbledore.

"Cornelius Fudge," responded Cadance. "So?"

"Well, he has begun to inquire into the inner-workings of the school," said Dumbledore. "I have been only as cooperative as the Governors of this school require me to be, which isn't very cooperative at all. I have run afoul of the Ministry."

"Fudge is threatened by you, Professor Dumbledore," said Gwen, her temper beginning to get the better of her. "He feels threatened because they wanted _you_ for Minister."

"The Ministry is taking it out on the school as well as myself," said Dumbledore. "I didn't want you around it all summer."

"And Cati?" asked Cadance.

"She's no better off," said Dumbledore. "Her uncle was once a Death Eater. The implications the Ministry will make against Professor Snape will be far worse than what they're saying about me. Professor Snape didn't want her around that either."

"So the Ministry is a little angry," said Cadance. "What's the problem?"

"Your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor will be appointed by the Ministry," said Dumbledore. "She will be interfering with how this school is run. And I've been tossed out of the Wizengamot, and been demoted from Chief Warlock of the International Confederation of Wizards."

Cadance paused. "They're trying to discredit you," she said softly. "I want to come home… Hogwarts, I mean. I know the truth now, so I can stay. You don't have to hide it from me. I can help."

"No, Cadance," said Dumbledore. "You can't come back. Stay with Arabella. If you won't obey an old man's request, you'll obey your legal guardian's orders."

"You don't have to go through this alone," said Cadance.

"I'm not 'going through' anything," said Dumbledore. "And I don't care what organizations they kick me out of or demote me from within, as long as they don't take me off the cards in the Chocolate Frogs."

* * *

"Mrs. Figg, I have to go to the bathroom," said Harry.

"Well, of course, dearie!" Arabella said. "Right down the hallway and to the left!"

As soon as the bathroom door shut, Professor McGonagall changed back into a human. "Well, you don't have to worry about him having fun and his uncle not allowing him to return," she said quietly. "How many games of cribbage is that now?"

"Oh, shut up," said Arabella.

"I'm going now," said McGonagall. "I'll see you later tonight when I bring Cadance back."

"Okay," said Arabella. McGonagall nodded and was about to walk into the kitchen to go out the back door to Apparate when Arabella stopped her. "And Minerva. Remember. It's their home. Whether they spend their summers there or not, it's their home. They'll always return."

They heard the toilet flush in the bathroom. Arabella looked down the hallway at the bathroom and when she turned back around, McGonagall was gone.

* * *

Cadance left her uncle's office so he could get some work done. Gwen, Morgouse, and Elaine left to go somewhere (they wouldn't say where and nobody pressed the subject) saying they would be back later. Cadance pulled a blank piece of parchment out of her robes pocket. She tapped it with her wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Suddenly, writing appeared on the parchment to reveal an enchanted map of Hogwarts. It showed where all of its inhabitants were, and revealed secret passages. Cadance had gotten the map from Sirius's house just after Lily and James died and he had been shipped off to Azkaban. Sirius had shown her how to use it when she was living with him after her parents died. When Sirius went to Azkaban, Cadance made one last trip to Godric's Hollow to pack up her things and say goodbye to Remus Lupin. Remus, too, had been preparing to leave. Godric's Hollow was now empty. Anyway, during her last trip to Godric's Hollow, she grabbed the map because it seemed a shame to waste it, plus she knew it was up to her to get it to Harry Potter some day, as he was the only child of the only one of the map's creators to have a kid.

Cadance quickly glanced at the map before locating the person she was looking for. She was heading up the front stairs of the castle. Cadance, being a very thorough planner when it comes to her pranks, knew exactly how fast it took Professor McGonagall to get from point A to point B, which often saved her and Cati from being caught. She was also pretty accurate with Professor Snape, Filch, Mrs. Norris, and Peeves the Poltergeist. Her uncle, however, was trickier since you never could tell when he was going to stop to talk to a picture. Also, his gait changed with his mood.

After deciding that it would take Professor McGonagall 3.2 minutes to get to her office (assuming that's where she was heading), Cadance saw that Mrs. Norris was lurking in the hallway that provided her the quickest route. An alternate route would take her 4 minutes to get to Professor McGonagall's office. Perfect. She started immediately.

"Mischief managed," whispered Cadance. The map was wiped clean, and she pocketed it.

When she entered Professor McGonagall's office, she found her seated at her desk. She looked up as Cadance entered. "Cadance," said Professor McGonagall.

"Can I talk to you for a second, Professor?" she asked. There was something in the way she said it that made Professor McGonagall become concerned.

"What is it?" asked McGonagall. "What's wrong?"

Cadance sat down. "I know what's going on with the Ministry and here," she said.

Professor McGonagall sighed. "This is why we didn't want you to find out," said McGonagall. "We didn't want to upset you."

"Well, I know now," said Cadance. "And now I want the entire truth. I want to know the seriousness of the situation."

"You should talk to you uncle about this," said McGonagall.

"He's acting like it's nothing," said Cadance. "He even made a joke about Chocolate Frogs. Please."

"Alright, Cadance," said McGonagall. "I suppose you know about the Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards?" Cadance nodded. "Fudge feels threatened by your uncle. He was, of course, first pick for Minister and Fudge is afraid that he'll change his mind and take over the Ministry. He's ousted your uncle of every position of power he has."

"It won't be long before he comes after his position here," said Cadance.

"That is my fear," said McGonagall. "And I'm sure it's your uncle's as well. But I don't think that we have much to worry about. Albus Dumbledore may be losing support among the Ministry, but the Governors are still on his side and so are the parents of the students. But it didn't help your uncle that he got into a loud argument with Fudge at the beginning of the summer."

"About what?" asked Cadance.

"Now _that_ I won't tell," said McGonagall. "You can take that up with your uncle."

"Is that everything?" asked Cadance.

"I promise, it's all I can tell," said McGonagall.

Cadance paused. "Where were you right before I came in?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" asked McGonagall.

"You weren't here," said Cadance.

"Oh…" said McGonagall. "I was…"

"You were outside," said Cadance. "You weren't in the castle."

McGonagall was just about to make up an excuse when there came a knock on the door. "Come in!" called McGonagall, thankful for the diversion.

The door opened and someone's head tentatively poked inside.

"Remus!" exclaimed Cadance excitedly. She jumped up and ran over to him as he stepped inside.

"Hello, Cadance," said Remus smiling weakly. He and Cadance hugged. "Your uncle said I might find you here. Hello, Professor McGonagall."

"Hello, Remus," said Professor McGonagall, standing.

"What are you doing here?" asked Cadance finally letting go.

"I… I came to say goodbye," said Remus.

"Goodbye?" asked Cadance.

"Yes," said Remus. "I quit my job. I'm no longer and Auror. I'm leaving London."

"Why!" asked Cadance. She didn't see Remus often, but she at least got letters from him at least once or twice a month.

"I'm afraid the Ministry isn't as open to my … _condition_ anymore," said Remus.

"But that's not fair!" exclaimed Cadance.

"Life sometimes is not fair," said Remus.

"What will you do?" asked McGonagall.

"I'm going to move west," said Remus. "I'll find a job."

"I don't want you to," said Cadance.

"I'll still write to you," said Remus, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not the same," said Cadance. "You won't be close anymore."

"Cadance…" said Remus.

"I hate the Ministry," said Cadance quietly.

Remus rumpled her hair affectionately. "Goodbye, Cadance," he said. He nodded at Professor McGonagall before turning and walking out, closing the door behind him.

Cadance turned back around to Professor McGonagall. "Why don't you sit back down?" asked McGonagall.

"I don't want to," said Cadance putting her hands on her hips. "There is something going on and I want to know what it is."

"What are you talking about?" asked McGonagall.

"You weren't in the castle, and now Remus quit his Auroring job and so did my cousins! I want to know what's going on," said Cadance.

"First of all," said McGonagall, quickly changing to her angry teacher tone. "Don't you dare take that tone of voice with me, Cadance Rose DiGeneva Dumbledore. And second of all, I don't know anything else about why Remus or your cousins left the Aurors and even if I did, I don't have to tell you. And third, the reason I wasn't in the castle was completely non-related to Remus, your cousins, the Auroring Department, or Hogwarts."

Cadance and McGonagall stared each other down. Cadance broke first. "There _is_ something that you don't want to tell me," said Cadance.

"I assure you, it's got nothing to do with the Ministry," said McGonagall.

"But there _is_ something," said Cadance.

"Yes," said McGonagall flatly.

"Does my uncle know?" asked Cadance.

"He's not going to tell you, either," said McGonagall.

"Someday will you?" asked Cadance.

"Theoretically, we could I suppose," said McGonagall.

"Does it affect me at all?" asked Cadance.

"No," said McGonagall.

"Is it bigger than a breadbox?"

"That doesn't even make sense," said McGonagall. Now I have some papers to go through. Go occupy yourself for about an hour until I take you back to Arabella's."

Cadance grudgingly got up and left her office.


	3. Hogwarts Days: Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!

A/N: I'm borrowing Umbridge from the 5th Harry Potter book. When I was writing _As Strong As We Are United_, I wanted to use her because I wanted to see what would happen if Umbridge met Cadance and Cati. Since ASAWAU is a sequel to my first story, _Harry Potter and the Crystal of Gryffindor_, and it starts right after Harry's 4th Year, I didn't have Umbridge in it. So I flashbacked and made Cadance and Cati have her as a professor. Now, since I want this story to be a lead-in to those two, I needed to borrow Umbridge and put in the scene that I flashbacked to. Happy Reading!

And so we find ourselves in the beginning of Cadance and Cati's 6th Year. Cornelius Fudge appointed Dolores Umbridge as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and High Inquisitor of Hogwarts. Her job was to investigate teachers and students to see if they exhibited "Ministry-approved" behavior. She was pure hell. Within the first few weeks, Cadance and Cati figured out just exactly what they were dealing with.

"Miss Dumbledore!" snapped Dolores Umbridge.

"Yes?" asked Cadance.

"What is that you have in your hand?" she asked.

Cadance looked down at her hand and back up at Umbridge. "My wand?" she asked.

"Yes, your wand," said Umbridge. "Did I tell you to take out your wand?"

"But you just said we would be studying uncommon jinxes today," said Cadance.

"Yes," said Umbridge in her fake sweet voice. "_Studying_. Not performing. Everyone open your books to page 112 and take notes." Collectively the class groaned.

"All we've done so far is study!" exclaimed Cadance. "What good is studying a jinx if you never learn how to use it!"

"Don't you take that tone of voice with me, young lady," she said. "Now if I hear one more peep out of you then you can go right down to Professor McGonagall's office and she can deal with you."

"Peep," said Cadance as she got out of her seat and walked out of the room.

She was shortly joined by Cati who had begun applauding her.

Shortly after this incident, the Professor from Hell was given power by the Minister to sit in on classes and review them. She had the ability to scare almost every teacher. Not even Dumbledore could hand out immunity from her scrutinizing. Cadance and Cati walked into Potions one day to see Umbridge sitting in a seat in the corner with her clipboard on her lap. Professor Snape was standing in the doorway sneering at everyone as they came in, except Cati. Cadance put her hand on Snape's arm. "I want you to know that even though we've had our differences, I'm rooting for you," she said. This earned her an extra-special sneer.

Snape had written a list of steps for a complicated potion on the board. He walked around as people began to prepare them. Umbridge followed closely behind him. At the end of the class, Professor Snape seemed to be finally showing his annoyance. She had asked him questions about how he taught the class and asked prying questions about his past.

"Sneer at her," mumbled Cati as Snape stopped at her table. Snape stared at her. "Sneer at her. It's scary. She'll leave."

Snape shook his head at her as a silent indication for her to keep quiet. Then he said, "Catalin Nuperson, chop those roots up smaller." But Cadance and Cati were staring over his shoulder, where Umbridge was lurking.

"Does she know she's in his personal space?" whispered Cadance out of the side of her mouth to Cati without taking her eyes off of either of them. Snape, overhearing, sneered at her.

"Professor Umbridge, I find it hard to evaluate my students' work when you are standing over my shoulder," hissed Snape.

"But Professor Snape," squeaked Umbridge in her fakely-pleasant voice. "It is my job to…"

"I don't care what your job is. It is interfering with mine," snapped Snape. "Sit in the corner and I'll talk to you when I'm through."

Cadance and Cati stood up and clapped.

"Nuperson! Dumbledore!" barked Umbridge.

"Peep!" they exclaimed.

And so most of the year continued until finally one day, towards the end of the year...

"Please begin reading on page 1442 and take notes," said Umbridge. "You will be tested..." She was caught off guard when the door was blasted off its hinges. Cadance and Cati jumped to their feet, fireballs in hand, as a demon walked through the door. He was big and rather scary-looking. He waved his hand and Cadance and Cati flew at the wall, hitting their heads and being knocked unconscious.

Everyone began screaming and plunging their hands into their robes to get their wands. Several people tried jinxing or cursing it, however they were severely out of practice due to the fact that they had not performed them all year. The demon laughed and walked over to Cadance and Cati who were beginning to stir. He gave Cati a sharp kick and she groaned. "Which one of you is Dumbledore's niece?" he grunted. Neither of them said anything. He kicked Cadance and she groaned. "Open your eyes. Both of you." They both did. He pointed at Cadance. "You." He reached down and grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to her feet. While still holding her arm he plunged he pulled out a knife. A few of the people in the class (particularly the "macho-men") started forward but Mr. Demon barked, "Nobody move!"

"What do you want?" asked Cadance boldly.

"Where is your uncle?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Cadance.

The demon raised his knife above his head. "The Order of the Phoenix must not form again. Your uncle must learn that," he hissed in Cadance's ear. He was about to stab her when Professor McGonagall came running in, her wand outstretched.

"Abraxas," said McGonagall.

"Ah, McGonagall," said the demon. " The Order of the Phoenix must not be formed again. You can take that message and the girl's dead body back to Dumbledore."

"The Order of the Phoenix is over and done with. We have no need for it," said McGonagall.

"Not now, but you will," said Abraxas. He made a move to stab Cadance again but he felt pain in his leg. He looked down. Cati had plunged a knife into his calf. He released Cadance and she fell to the floor. He pulled the knife out and was about the throw it at Cati in retaliation but he was stunned from behind by McGonagall. He fell over and disappeared.

"Everyone out," said McGonagall. All the students except Cadance and Cati filed out of the room. Umbridge was about to leave as well, but Professor McGonagall stopped her.

"Is he gone?" asked Cati.

"For now," said McGonagall. "He used his powers and that's a violation of his demonic parole. He'll have to make a run for it now. He won't be back any time soon. Are the two of you okay?"

"Yeah, we're fine," said Cati.

"Cadance, perhaps you'd like to go and see your uncle after you and Cati explain what happened?" said McGonagall.

Cadance nodded and Cati explained what had happened; including how the class had been unprepared. "Professor McGonagall, we all could have been killed because of this woman," she said in conclusion.

"Miss Nuperson, detention," said Umbridge.

"What!" exclaimed Cati. "Are you shitting me!"

"Make it a week's worth of detentions," said Umbridge. "For disrespecting the High Inquisitor." Cati looked to Professor McGonagall for help. "She can't help you, Miss Nuperson. She's got no power over me."

"Dolores, be reasonable," snapped McGonagall. "After what they've just been through, I'm surprised that Cadance isn't snapping as well!"

"Can I go see my uncle now?" asked Cadance.

"No, Miss Dumbledore, there is still the issue of who broke into the Slytherin Common Room yesterday night," said Umbridge.

"That wasn't me," said Cadance.

"Yeah, right, detention," said Umbridge.

"Professor McGonagall!" exclaimed Cadance, appealing to the Deputy Head for help. "You know I at least admit it when I break into the Slytherin Common Room!"

"Dolores, she does always take credit for her handiwork," said McGonagall.

"I'll expect the both of you in my office for detention by 5 o'clock this evening," said Umbridge. "And I'll be writing home to your parents... oh wait, I guess I won't be. I forgot."

Cadance's eyes narrowed into tiny slits. "That was a low blow," she spat.

"Miss Dumbledore, are you aware of what the penalty is for harassing a Ministry Member?" asked Umbridge.

"So now you're going to send me to Azkaban!" exclaimed Cadance.

"If I could, I would," said Umbridge putting her fake sweet voice back on. "I have connections, dear. I'm sure I could find something to send you in on."

"Dolores, I never thought I'd live to see the day a Ministry employee abuses their power to the point where they are threatening two 16-year-old girls!" exclaimed McGonagall.

"Hold your tongue, Minerva," said Dolores.

"I will NOT hold my tongue, Dolores!" exclaimed McGonagall. "The Ministry is going to the DOGS! First you all try to tell everyone that Albus Dumbledore is crazy and you get him kicked off the International Confederation of Wizards AND the Wizengamot and then they appoint YOU to this position and give you power over all Hogwarts Employees! Now you know that these girls have done nothing wrong yet you're punishing them anyway."

"This isn't about the detention, Minerva!" exclaimed Umbridge. "We all know this is personal!"

"When your teaching endangers the lives of my students, then yes it becomes personal!" exclaimed McGonagall.

Cadance and Cati exchanged a look. Cati's eyes darted towards the door. Cadance winked at her. They slowly turned around and started walking towards the door. "Not so fast, ladies," said Umbridge, pulling out a wand.

"Now she pulls a wand on us!" exclaims Cati. "When will it end!"

"Cadance, Cati, you are excused," said McGonagall.

They turned around to leave, but Umbridge said, "_Stupefy_!"

Cadance and Cati whipped around and they each threw a hand out in front of themselves. Before the spell had even left Umbridge's wand, she had flown backwards and was knocked unconscious.

McGonagall, Cadance, and Cati all exchanged a look. "Well," said Cati. "Bye."

"Yeah, Professor, we appreciate everything you did for us today," said Cadance. "And when you're questioned about what happened later, you can tell them that we openly provoked her."

"And we're really sorry that we can't turn in our Transfiguration essays before we go," said Cati.

"Go?" asked McGonagall.

"Yeah," said Cadance. She waved her hand in front of McGonagall and froze her. "I'm sorry about that, too."

"Come on, she won't stay frozen long," said Cati.

"Where are we going to go?" asked Cadance as they walked out of the classroom. "And what do you think is going to happen?"

"Well, I think that the Ministry is out of whack enough that they'd actually try to arrest us," said Cati. "And that's why we're getting out of here. Let's go!"

"Where are we going?" asked Cadance.

"To get our broomsticks!" announced Cati.

Cadance glanced out a window to the sky which was rapidly darkening with rain clouds. "Grand," she said dully.

A few minutes later, McGonagall burst into Dumbledore's office. He looked up from his desk. "Albus, they're gone!" she exclaimed.

"What?" said Dumbledore.

"First they were attacked by demons and then they got in a fight with Umbridge and she threatened them with the detention and Azkaban and then she tried to stun them, but they made it backfire and now Cadance and Cati are gone!" she said all in one breath.

Dumbledore had gotten up and walked to her while she was speaking. He grabbed her shoulders and said "Calm down, Minerva. I can't understand you. What's going on?" He looked in her eyes and realization dawned on him. "Oh, no."

* * *

Cadance and Cati flew all night through the rain. At about two o'clock in the morning, they knocked on a door to a small house, situated far away from other houses. The door was opened by a very sleepy-eyed Charlie Weasley.

"Cadance? Cati? What the heck?" asked Charlie when he saw them.

"Hi Charlie," said Cadance throwing her arms around his neck and giving him a big wet hug.

"Get in here before you catch a cold," he said, stepping out of the doorway to let them through. They each had one small bag.

Cadance and Cati sat down on the couch. "Nice place you got here, Charlie," said Cati noticing the piles of old newspapers, empty chip bags and beer cans, and various other forms of clutter. "Is this what you call a bachelor pad?"

"I would have tidied up a bit," said Charlie as he sat down in the chair facing them. "But I didn't know I would be having company."

"We would have called, but we needed to make a quick getaway," explained Cadance.

"Oh dear Lord, what did you guys do this time?" asked Charlie. "You didn't blow up the Great Hall, did you?"

"No," said Cati. "We actually didn't do anything... well, not much of anything." She told him the story of what had happened earlier that day.

"Are you trying to tell me that they want to send you to Azkaban?" asked Charlie.

"Well, they'd never be able to pull it off," said Cadance. "They're just trying to scare us into obedience."

"I hate to take their side," said Charlie. "But maybe you two should start listening to the Ministry." They gave him nasty looks and he said, "Alright, never mind."

"What do you think we should do, Charlie?" asked Cadance.

"Well, I don't think they'll come looking for you here," said Charlie. "You guys can stay until things blow over. I'll call off work tomorrow and stay here with you."

"Oh, no, Charlie," said Cati. "We'll be fine here alone. Go to work."

"Well, then we better get to bed. Come on, you two can sleep in the big bed in my room. I'll sleep on the single bed in the guest room," he said.

"Thanks, Charlie," said Cadance giving him one last hug. "I don't know what we'd do without you."

"We'd probably have gone to Drew's and he'd be getting us drunk right now," said Cati honestly.

"Well, I'm glad you came here," he said. They all said goodnight and went to bed.

The next morning, the silence in the house was abruptly broken by another unexpected arrival. "CHARLIE!" exclaimed a voice as the person attached to it rolled out of the fireplace in Charlie's kitchen. Charlie was half-shaved with his shirt unbuttoned as he ran out of the bathroom and down the hallway. "Gwen!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

Indeed it was Gwen McGrady, Cadance's cousin. "Where are they?" she asked looking under the table and then peering down the hallway.

"Where are who?" asked Charlie trying to look innocent.

Gwen held up a newspaper. "You're lucky Elaine didn't see this," she said. "I got the paper before she even woke up."

"Oh shit," said Charlie taking it from her. Cadance and Cati made headlines in the morning edition of the Daily Prophet. "They're in my bedroom."

Gwen walked down the hallway and into Charlie's bedroom. Charlie followed while reading the story. Cadance and Cati were sleeping. "Charlie, you animal!" reprimanded Gwen.

"I slept in the guest bedroom," said Charlie.

"Oh," said Gwen. They went back to the living room. "What are you planning on doing with them?"

"Well, they can stay here until this whole thing blows over," said Charlie.

"Charlie, the Ministry is hunting for them," said Gwen. "And I'm sure their uncles are worried sick."

"The Ministry won't find them here," said Charlie.

"You really think so?" asked Gwen skeptically. "Because this is the first place I thought to look."

Cadance and Cati came into the room, sleepily rubbing their eyes. "Gwen? What are you doing here?" asked Cati with a yawn.

"Nice shirt, Charlie," said Cadance eyeing Charlie's unbuttoned shirt.

Charlie looked down and started buttoning his shirt up. "You're in the newspaper," said Charlie nodding to the paper, which was now sitting on the arm of the chair.

"Oh my God, look at my hair in that picture!" exclaimed Cati. She paused a second and noticed Cadance giving her a weird look. "Sorry, I just went Uptown Girl on you there."

"Yeah," said Cadance going back to the newspaper. "Most of this stuff isn't true!"

Gwen put a hand to her face and faked a look of surprise. "Oh my God, the Daily Prophet isn't accurate! That's a shocker!" she exclaimed. "Well, I'd better be going before Elaine or Morgouse wakes up and finds out that I'm not there. The shit will really hit the fan. It's my day to make coffee."

"Gwen, you're 23 years old. Aren't you tired of living with your sisters?" asked Charlie.

"I'm a triplet. You don't just split up sets of three," said Gwen, as she disappeared into the kitchen to leave via the fireplace.

"That's it. I'm staying home today," said Charlie.

"Why?" asked Cadance in surprise.

"Come on, Cadance! If Gwen can find you here, then the Ministry definitely can!" exclaimed Charlie. "I'm not taking any chances and leaving you guys home alone."

"Charlie, just go to work; we'll be fine, I promise," said Cadance. "Cati and I brought an invisibility cloak in case of an emergency."

"Well, alright," said Charlie. "But be careful."

"We will, just go to work," said Cati.

For the next two weeks, Charlie adjusted to having two women secretly living in his house. Then one day, Charlie Apparated to his front door after work. To his shock, he found four people standing there: his own father, Lucius Malfoy, and two people he didn't know. "Dad, what are you doing here?" he asked.

"Waiting for you to get home," he said. "I'm sorry, but they have to search your house."

"What? Why?" he asked, but he already knew.

"Come off it, Weasley, you know that those two miserable brats have gone missing," said Malfoy. "We have reason to believe that they might be here."

Inwardly Charlie prayed for two things; that Gwen hadn't gotten drunk recently and that Cadance and Cati were hiding right now.

"We have the proper papers," said one of the two people Charlie didn't know. He handed him a search warrant.

"This isn't signed by Cornelius Fudge," observed Charlie as he looked over the paper.

"No, it's signed by Dolores Umbridge," said Malfoy. "She is the Senior Undersecretary to the Minster and the Hogwarts High Inquisitor. She is using her resources at Hogwarts to help conduct this search and as a School Governor I have gotten involved."

"Thanks for the History Lesson," said Charlie dully.

"And, as you can see, this warrant was cosigned by Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall," said Malfoy, pointing to the page.

"I can read, thank you," said Charlie. "I'll let you in." He put his key in the lock and jiggled it around a little, hoping that Cadance and Cati would hear and catch on to what was happening. Then he opened the door and stepped in first saying, a bit louder than normal, "Right this way. Would anyone like a drink or anything?"

"No, we'll just get this over with," said Mr. Weasley. "Let's start in the basement." They all went down. Charlie was about to follow when he was grabbed from behind and pulled in the other direction. The door seemed to close on its own. Then Cadance and Cati appeared; Cati holding an invisibility cloak. She tossed it on a nearby chair.

"What the hell are they doing here, Charlie?" asked Cadance.

"Oh I just thought I'd invite them over for a bit of tea," said Charlie. "Why do you think they're here!"

"Damn," said Cadance.

"Go into my bedroom," said Charlie. He ushered them down the hallway and into his room. He handed them the search warrant. "Cadance, your uncle cosigned this. He must be really worried about you or else he wouldn't have cooperated."

"I miss him," said Cadance. "I miss everyone... even Snape."

"Hell, I even miss Percy!" said Cati.

"We've got to hide," said Cadance.

"I'll get the invisibility cloak and we'll hide in the closet," said Cati. She poked her head out the door and then left. There was a few seconds pause and then they heard Cati loudly string off a line of swear words; a few of which Cadance and Charlie had never heard before. Then they heard another voice shout a spell.

"Shit," said Charlie. He pointed his wand at the door and it slammed and locked magically.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" asked Cadance. "The game is over. I don't want to get arrested, but I'm not going to let you get arrested either as an accomplice."

"But..."

"No buts. I can handle this. Look, Charlie, the Ministry is like a game of solitaire," said Cadance. She held out her hand. A deck of cards had appeared in it. "Every ministry member is different, just like every card. In order to beat the game, you just have to get your cards in order." She bent back the top of the cards and shot them in Charlie's face just as they heard pounding on the door. "Thanks for everything, Charlie." The door got blasted off its hinges. Lucius Malfoy walked in.

"Wonderful," said Malfoy as he directed the two people with him and Mr. Weasley to grab Cadance. On their way out of his room, Charlie heard Cadance telling Malfoy just what she thought of him. Charlie looked down and saw that all the cards had landed in a pile. He bent down and picked them up and looked at them. They were in order, starting with the Ace of Spades and ending with the King of Hearts.

* * *

Sirius Black could hardly believe his eyes. Sure, he'd been in Azkaban for a long time—at least 8 or 9 years; it was hard to keep track—but he was pretty sure he'd managed to do what nobody else had been able to do; he was perfectly sane. At least he thought he was until he saw what appeared to be Cadance Dumbledore being led past his cell with another girl who was about her age. Could it possibly have been Catalin Nuperson?

Sirius brushed his hair out of his face and rubbed his eyes. He watched their retreating backs, flanked by two Aurors and two Dementors. He shook his head. "You're losing it, Sirius," he muttered to himself. He transformed into a dog and curled up in the corner.

* * *

Meanwhile, Cadance and Cati _were_ being roughly led along one of the passages of Azkaban. "Don't touch me!" snapped Cati at one of the Aurors, wrenching her arm away from him as he grabbed it.

"Would you rather be touched by him?" asked the Auror has he grabbed hold of her arm again and jerked the thumb of his free hand over his shoulder at one of the Dementors.

Cadance briefly wondered whether or not a Dementor could be a "him" before they were ushered into a room. Cornelius Fudge and Dolores Umbridge were standing by a fireplace. They both had rather smug looks on their faces. There were no furnishings in the room and the only light came from the fireplace and the candlesticks on the walls around the room.

"Well, well, well!" exclaimed Fudge. "What have we here? Not so invincible now, are we, girls?" Cadance and Cati glanced at the two Aurors and two Dementors flanking their sides. They answered his question with defiant silence. "Now, my girls, I suppose you are wondering what is going to happen to you," continued Fudge. "Well, since you are underage we have to wait one hour for your guardians to appear before we can take you into the Ministry to appear before the Wizengamot. And since you were brought in exactly 53 minutes ago, your guardians have only another seven minutes to show up! Then, we will take you before the Wizengamot for threatening a Ministry employee, disrupting the peace, and treason."

Cadance snorted. "That's a stretch," she mumbled.

"What was that?" Fudge asked.

"I don't like you," said Cadance.

"Oh ho!" exclaimed Fudge. "We'll introduce that as evidence."

"Evidence that you're an idiot?" asked Cadance.

"Watch yourself, my dear, or you could talk yourself right into a guilty verdict," said a voice from the doorway. Cadance and Cati turned around to see Dumbledore stride in with Snape at his heels. Dumbledore was smiling cheerfully.

"Dumbledore!" exclaimed Fudge in surprise.

"Hello, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "There seems to have been a bit of a mix-up! Severus and I were told to meet you at the Ministry. Luckily for me, I remember that protocol dictates that the guardians... that would be us… are to meet the accused… that would be _them_… at Azkaban! Very luckily, too, or we would have missed the hour deadline! But now that we've arrived, perhaps we should go to the Ministry and clear this little matter up?"

The smirk immediately fell from Fudge's face. He threw some Floo Powder into the fireplace. "After you, Dumbledore," he said.

"Well, thank you!" said Dumbledore pleasantly. He caught Snape's eye almost imperceptibly. Snape gave the smallest nod at him. Dumbledore stepped in and called, "Ministry of Magic!" and disappeared.

"Snape," offered Fudge.

"No, Minister," said Snape sneering. "I'll go after the girls do."

Umbridge went next. Cati followed. As Cadance passed Fudge to get to the fireplace, she paused and turned to look at him. Then, suddenly, she brought the heel of her boot down very hard on his toes. Fudge let out a cry of pain then grabbed Cadance's arm. "You will pay dearly for that, miss," he hissed, digging his fingers in her arm.

"Minister," said Snape, stepping forward. "Perhaps we should keep moving."

Fudge pushed Cadance towards the fireplace. "Ministry of Magic!" she cried jumping in and rolling out at the Ministry.

Dumbledore helped her to her feet and she brushed the soot off of her as Snape then Fudge climbed out of the fireplace.

They walked in near silence to the place where the Wizengamot was awaiting them. The only sound was that of Dumbledore humming quietly to himself. Cadance briefly wondered if he was insane. How could he be so calm? She herself was very frightened. It could have had something to do with the quality time they had spent with the Dementors.

Finally, they arrived in a large room. The center was open, but along three sides were three different tiers of seats, all facing the center. Fudge and Umbridge took the two open seats in the center of the first row, directly across from the door. One wizard rose and said, "Cornelius Oswald Fudge presiding. Would the defendants please state their full names for the court?"

Cadance and Cati looked up at Dumbledore and Snape. Snape nodded at them. "Cadance Rose DiGeneva Dumbledore," said Cadance.

"Catalin Marie Nuperson," said Cati.

"Are you two aware of the charges being brought against you?" asked the wizard. They nodded. The wizard sat down and Fudge stood.

"Well, ladies, do you deny these charges?" asked Fudge looking down his nose at them.

Cati was about to state that they most strenuously denied the charges using language that would shock even the most foul-mouthed sailor, when Dumbledore laid a hand on her shoulder to keep her from speaking up. "No, Minister, _they do not_," said Dumbledore. Cadance and Cati looked at each other with wide eyes as several members of the Wizengamot whispered excitedly to the person next to them. "Rather it is our argument that their behavior is completely justified under the circumstances."

"And what exactly where the circumstances?" asked Fudge.

"You should know, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "You set the circumstances! I am, of course, referring to the appointment of Miss Dolores Umbridge as Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor at Hogwarts."

"Girls," said an elderly witch with kindness in her voice that shocked Cadance and Cati. It wasn't the fake kindness they were used to from Umbridge. "How do you feel about Professor Umbridge?"

"Like throwing her off the Astronomy Tower," said Cati.

"You see!" exclaimed Umbridge. "They're terrors!"

"Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my argument that this all started because Dolores Umbridge is unfit to teach," continued Dumbledore. "On the day that Cadance and Catalin fled Hogwarts, they were attacked and could have been _killed_ by a demon in Dolores's class. Because of a lack of training, they were unprepared to even raise their wands against it. Dolores has not had any of her classes do anything but copy notes all year. And additionally, she provoked the two girls. And after all of that, she fired a spell at them, while their backs were turned."

"They returned fired!" exclaimed Umbridge.

"And they're _sixteen_-years-old," said Dumbledore.

"Cornelius, it seems to me that this is a rather elaborate spectacle for something fairly small. The girls didn't harm anyone," spoke up the kind witch.

"What about me!" exclaimed Umbridge.

"I'm sorry, I should have been clearer," said the witch. "They didn't harm anyone who didn't openly provoke them in a way that is unacceptable for a Hogwarts Professor, a Ministry official, and a Wizengamot member!" A murmur of agreement went up through several Wizengamot members.

"Thank you, Madame Marshbanks," said Dumbledore with a sweeping bow.

"All those in favor of dropping the charges, raise your hands," said Marshbanks. More than half raised their hands.

"But these girls must be punished!" exclaimed Fudge.

"I believe they've been punished enough, Minister," said Marshbanks. "And now, I move that we reinstate Albus Dumbledore as Chief Warlock. All those in favor…" Again, more than half of the hands went into the air.

"Thank you again, Madame," said Dumbledore. "I am delighted!"

"And now, Cornelius, I advise you to remove Dolores Umbridge from Hogwarts. Once news of this proceeding leaks out, you won't look very good if you allow her to remain," added Marshbanks.

"I... well… yes, very well," said Fudge grudgingly.

"Since this is over and done with, I suppose we should return these girls to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore ushering them out. "Again, I thank you!" He gave another sweeping bow before exiting and closing the door.

"Uncle Albus, that was amazing!" exclaimed Cadance throwing her arms around his neck.

Dumbledore returned her embrace. "Don't thank me. Thank Arabella. She had a quick visit with her old friend, Madame Marshbanks, before the trial started," he said.

"You two are very lucky," said Snape. "And don't think you're off the hook for running away either."

"Just you wait until Minerva gets her hands on you!" said Dumbledore. "But now it's time to go back to Hogwarts. I daresay, you've been away for far too long."

"Yeah," said Cadance smiling at Cati. "Let's go home."


	4. A Killer Cactus

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's.

A/N: Keep on truckin'…

Cadance couldn't believe she was doing this. It was completely insane. But there she was, in Azkaban, walking down the rows of cells. The inhabitants were all pathetic-looking things. But she knew she had to find him. She needed closure. Finally, she found the cell she wanted. The man inside sat facing the wall.

"Hello, Sirius," said Cadance. He turned around slowly and stared at her. "Do you remember me?"

"I'm in prison; I'm not stupid," he said.

"That's debatable," she said.

"Have you come here to insult me, or do you have something to say?" asked Sirius testily.

Cadance narrowed her eyes at him. "I don't have to stand here and take it as you talk to me in that tone of voice, Sirius Black," said Cadance, matching his tone. "_I_ wasn't the one who ran off and got arrested." She turned on her heel and started to walk away.

"Cadance!" exclaimed Sirius. "Wait!" She turned around to face him. He walked up to the bars. "Come here."

She hesitated before obeying. He reached through the bars and poked her shoulder. He jumped. "You're real! I'm awake!"

"Sirius?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow.

"Lately, I've been having these strange dreams," said Sirius. "People from my past coming to visit me. Accusing me. It's hard to tell the difference between having nightmares and being awake in here. But what are you doing here?"

"I came to see you," said Cadance.

"How long have I been in here?" asked Sirius. "It's hard to keep track."

"Almost nine years," said Cadance.

"Nine years," muttered Sirius. "You're my first visitor."

"I would have come sooner, but my uncle expressly forbade it," said Cadance. "He doesn't know I'm here."

"So you're… what… 18-years-old now?" asked Sirius.

"Almost," said Cadance. "I just graduated from Hogwarts. Catalin Nuperson and I got accepted into the Auror Training program. We're going to get a flat in London together."

"An Auror?" asked Sirius. "I thought you said you'd never be an Auror."

"Well, geez, Sirius, plans change in nine years," said Cadance. "But, this was a recent development. Towards the end of the school year, I had a premonition…" She trailed off. How could she tell him that she had seen the Dark Lord? She couldn't even tell her uncle. She had only told Cati. "They're going to need us."

"I thought I saw you a while ago. You were here in Azkaban," said Sirius.

"Yeah, that was about a year ago," said Cadance. "Cati and I... oh never mind. It's not important."

Sirius paused and looked her over. "You're all grown up," said Sirius.

"Sirius," said Cadance tentatively. "I was wondering… I mean… well…"

"You want to know why I did it," said Sirius, sitting down on the edge of his cot. Cadance knelt down next to the cot, but separated by the bars. "I don't deny that I deserve my punishment. But not for what everyone thinks I did."

"What?"

"You won't believe me," said Sirius.

"You could be right," said Cadance. "It would be very hard to believe you… after what everyone _says_ you did."

"What exactly are you saying?" asked Sirius. "Are you saying that you don't…"

Cadance reached through the bars and put her hand on his. "Sirius, I'm a Sorceress. I sometimes have these _feelings_ about things. I had a bad feeling about my parents going on that mission… about Lily and James the night they died... sometimes before demons attack. I spent a lot of time with you before the incident and I never felt _anything_. And I came here today to see if I could get one of my feelings, because for all these years I always thought there was more to the story than anyone knew. I always thought that maybe you were set up or at least had a good explanation for what happened. I knew if I got a bad feeling when I came here that I would have been wrong for all those years; that you were really a murdering bastard and that I would kick your ass into next week."

"And any feelings?" asked Sirius.

"If I had any, I wouldn't still be here," said Cadance. "Now please explain."

"I killed Lily and James," muttered Sirius. Cadance stiffened and started to pull her hand away from Sirius. He grabbed hold of it. "But not intentionally. My actions as good as killed them."

"You _did_ turn them in to Voldemort?" asked Cadance as her face paled.

"No!" said Sirius sliding off of the cot and kneeling next to the bars. He grabbed her other hand, which had been resting on the bars. "I was _never_ on the Dark Side! It wasn't me! Listen, everyone thinks _I_ was Lily and James's Secret Keeper! It wasn't me!"

"You convinced them to switch," murmured Cadance. "Of course! You told my uncle…"

"How did you know?" asked Sirius.

"I was… well… Cati and I were eavesdropping," said Cadance. "You said you would try to convince James to switch."

"Yes," said Sirius. "And I _did_. I convinced them to switch to Pettigrew."

"And when Voldemort found Lily and James and killed them," said Cadance. "You…"

"I knew that Peter had betrayed us," said Sirius, filling in. "And I tracked him down…"

"And killed him," said Cadance.

"No!" exclaimed Sirius. "I admit, I was going to. But he blew up the street just as I was about to curse him. He faked his own death and escaped, that rat. So do you believe me?"

"Yes," said Cadance. "I do. We've got to get you out of here. Sirius, I've gotten really good at this Sorceress thing. I think I could take a few of these Dementors and we can make a break for it."

"_No_, Cadance," said Sirius. "You've got your career to think of. Besides, I _deserve_ to be in here. Lily and James are dead because of me."

"Sirius!" admonished Cadance. "Don't think like that!"

"No, my life is here now," said Sirius. "I've come to terms with that. Now tell me more about you. Did you manage a complete Animagus transformation?"

"Yes!" said Cadance excitedly. "I'm a Phoenix! I'm registered though. Professor McGonagall figured out what I was doing, and she made me register. She did help me out a lot towards the end though."

Sirius chuckled. "I never would have registered you," he said. "You didn't tell her I was the one who was helping you before, did you?"

"No, she has no idea," said Cadance. "I promise I haven't told anyone about you being an Animagus. Not even Cati. I'm sure Professor McGonagall suspected there was more than I was telling her, but she didn't question it at all."

"Tell me more. I haven't had news in nine years. How is your uncle? Your sister?"

Cadance hesitated and looked at the floor. "My sister is somewhere in the muggle world. They sent her there after you left. I haven't seen her in nine years."

"Oh, Cadance," said Sirius with a sigh. "This is my fault."

"No, it's not," said Cadance. "It's Voldemort's. It's okay though. There is supposedly a whole office in the Department of Muggle Cooperation and Muggle-born Witched and Wizards in the Ministry devoted to this kind of thing. I mean… they keep track of where she is and all. And I hope to bring Jen to live with me soon."

"That's good," said Sirius. "And… Harry?"

"He's living with Lily's sister and her husband," said Cadance. "That's all I know."

"He'll be starting Hogwarts soon," said Sirius. "Right?"

"Not this year, but next year," said Cadance. "And Jen the year after that."

"I wish there was a way for Harry to get the Marauder's Map," said Sirius.

Cadance laughed. "Oh, Sirius!" she said. "You think I'd let that thing go to waste! Cati and I used it. Then I purposely got it confiscated by Filch… don't worry, he doesn't know what it is… and told Fred and George that if they _poked_ around inside Filch's filing cabinet, they'd find some interesting things. But first, I put a little charm of my own on the map. It's charmed so that it will somehow find its way into the hands of Harry. You have nothing to worry about."

"Good," said Sirius. "And what about romantic prospects, eh? Bringing anyone home to meet your uncle?

Cadance laughed. "I'd have to get him past _Cati _first. The last two boyfriends I had turned out to be demons who were just trying to get close to me to try to kill me," she said. "I think I'm cursed."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Sirius. "And…" He trailed off and a shadow crossed his face. Cadance noticed his gaze shifted from her face to a spot above her head. Cadance slowly turned her head and found herself looking up into her uncle's face.

"Uncle Albus!" she exclaimed in surprise. She and Sirius scrambled to their feet. "I… I…"

"It's time to go, Cadance," said Dumbledore.

"Alright," said Cadance. She turned to look at Sirius. "Goodbye, Sirius."

"Goodbye, Cadance," said Sirius. "And thanks."

Dumbledore put his hands on Cadance's shoulders and guided her down the hallway. As Dumbledore's cloak swished, Sirius noticed something fall from his pocket. Sirius reached through the bars and grabbed it. It was a pencil wrapped in a piece of paper. A closer look revealed that the paper was the crossword puzzle ripped from the Daily Prophet. Sirius smiled to himself and wondered, "What's an 8-letter word for amulet?"

* * *

Back at Hogwarts…

"You can't order me around anymore!" screamed Cadance at her uncle as soon as they traveled to Dumbledore's office using Floo Powder.

"As long as you're living under the roof of this castle, you'll obey _my_ rules!" argued Dumbledore sharply.

"I'm almost 18! I'm of age!" exclaimed Cadance.

"But I am your legal guardian and you still have to listen to me," said Dumbledore.

"I wasn't hurting anyone," said Cadance.

"I don't worry about you hurting anyone else; I worry about you getting hurt yourself!" argued Dumbledore. "What did you hope to accomplish by visiting a murderer?"

Cadance turned her back on him. "You won't understand," she said.

"He abandoned you," said Dumbledore.

Cadance whipped around and gave him the evil eye. She reached over and grabbed one of the strange, shiny, spinny objects off his desk and chucked it at the wall before storming out. Dumbledore sighed as she slammed the door behind her. "I'm just trying to protect you."

Meanwhile, in the dungeons, Cati bounced into Snape's office. "Uncle Severus," she said smiling. "I've brought you a present!"

Snape looked up from his work, his face neutral. "What is it, Catalin?"

Cati held up a small cactus in a pot. She set it down on his desk. Snape kind of stared at her, his eyebrow raised. "I knew you'd liked it!" exclaimed Cati. She quickly pecked her uncle on the cheek before bouncing back out.

* * *

At dinner that night, Cadance sat at the opposite end of the table from her uncle. Cati, Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick sat between them. All of the other teachers had gone home for the summer, or part of the summer. "So, Cati, Cadance. When are you two moving out of Hogwarts?" asked McGonagall.

"Well, we haven't found a flat yet," said Cati. "But we start Auror training in July so we'll…"

"As soon as possible," interrupted Cadance.

"Well, there's no rush, I suppose," said McGonagall. "As long as you're gone by the time school starts up again."

"Trust me," said Cadance. "I can't stand living here much longer. Not while _someone_ insists on treating me like a child."

"Cadance," began her uncle.

"Professor McGonagall, please tell my uncle I don't want to talk to him," said Cadance.

"Albus, she says she doesn't want to talk to you," said McGonagall.

"Well, you're going to have to eventually," said Dumbledore.

"Cadance, he says you have to eventually," said McGonagall.

"Do you feel like we're intruding?" whispered Cati to her uncle.

"Shh," said Snape. "Flitwick and I have a bet. If Cadance storms out first, I win."

"Well, you can tell him that I have nothing to say," said Cadance.

"Albus, your niece begs pardon for whatever she has said or done in the course of this argument," said McGonagall.

"Hey, I didn't say that!" argued Cadance.

"And she'll never do it again," added McGonagall.

Cadance rolled her eyes and got up from the table. She walked briskly from the Great Hall as Flitwick passed Snape 5 galleons.

The next morning, Cadance woke Cati up at about 7:00. "What do you want, Cadance?" asked Cati sleepily.

"I have an appointment with the Ministry in half-an-hour," said Cadance.

"Since when?" asked Cati.

"Last night. I made an appointment before dinner," she answered. "I just wanted to let you know so you wouldn't worry."

"Ok," said Cati rolling over on her side so her back was to Cadance. "And, Cadance? If you ever wake me up at 7:00 again, I'll kill you."

"Ok," said Cadance. She walked out of the room and towards the exit. She hurried across the grounds to Hogsmeade and Apparated to the Ministry. She gave her name at the front desk and was directed to the 3rd floor. She waited patiently in the office of a Mr. Bradley Patterson. The door opened and a tall man of about 40 walked in. He peered down through his glasses at a file in his hand.

"Ah, Miss Rogers," said Mr. Patterson quickly as Cadance made to stand. "No, no, don't stand. Take a seat. He sat down behind his desk and continued. "So you are here about your sister, a Jennifer Rogers?"

"Yes, but…" began Cadance before Patterson cut her off.

"I'm going to be perfectly honest with you, Miss Rogers," he said. "I haven't ever seen your sister's file until this morning. I wasn't originally assigned to her case and when it got to me, I filed it away because there wasn't much for me to do with it. You see, when we receive word that a witch or wizard child is orphaned in the muggle world, we make arrangements for them to be in one of the group homes where we have case workers to keep track of them. When I got the case, she had just been ordered a transfer out of the home she was in and into another. This new home _is not_ one that is watched by the department. Now, I know that it is rather odd to not look into a case where a child is ordered out of care, but the file showed no biological ties to the Wizarding World. I checked the roster that Deputy Headmistress McGonagall sent us of children her age who are to be admitted to Hogwarts, and her name wasn't on it. I assumed she wasn't really a witch and it was all a mistake or something. Now, here are the steps I can take, Miss Rogers…"

"Hold it!" interrupted Cadance. "My name isn't Rogers. My sister was put into the system under a fake name to protect her!"

"Excuse me?" asked Patterson.

"My sister was put into the Muggle World under a fake last name. Your department was supposed to keep an eye on her so that she could come back to us when she was old enough," explained Cadance.

"Oh my," said Patterson. "There seems to have been a very big mistake here. What _is_ your name?"

"Dumbledore. My name is Cadance Dumbledore," said Cadance. "And my sister's name is Jen."

"Dumbledore…" repeated Patterson.

"Yes," said Cadance. "As in _Albus Dumbledore_. He's our grand-uncle."

"Oh dear," said Patterson. "I am _so_ sorry Miss Dumbledore."

"You were saying that there was something you could do," prompted Cadance.

"We can try to contact the last known home she was at," said Patterson. "That's the best I can do for now."

Cadance was in shock. "I came here today to ask the department if it would be okay if she came back to the Wizarding World a few years early… she's not supposed to come back until it's time for her to start Hogwarts. But I have a job and I'm getting a place to live and I thought that maybe she could come live with me," she said.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Dumbledore," said Patterson.

"Who…?" asked Cadance. "Who authorized Jen's transfer?"

Patterson opened the file and flipped through the papers. He stopped at one and scanned it. His brow furrowed. "Hmmm… odd," he said.

"What?" asked Cadance.

"Well, when a transfer goes through, it usually has to have the signature of the Head of the Department and the caseworker," said Patterson. "But this just has one signature. Cornelius Fudge."

"Fudge?" asked Cadance. "Well, he _was_ the Head of the Department before he was Minister."

"Yes, but he's been the Minister for two years now," said Patterson. "And when he became Minister, all of his cases passed to his personal assistant until they were passed out to the rest of us. Look at the date. It was almost a year after he became Minister. He _did_ oversee things around here for a few months after he became Minister while we were appointing a new Head of the Department and getting him up to speed. But still, _a year ago_…"

Cadance froze. "What month?" she asked.

"What?" asked Patterson, looking up.

"What month was Jen transferred in?" asked Cadance.

"Late June," answered Patterson. "I don't know. It must be a clerical error."

But Fudge's words from a year ago, echoed in Cadance's ears: _"You will pay for that, missy."_

"I have to go," said Cadance distractedly as she rose.

Patterson rose as well. "Again, I'm very sorry," he said. "Where can I reach you if I find anything?"

"I'm employed by the Auroring Department," she answered. "I'm about to go through Auror Training. They'll know where to reach me." She shook his hand and then left. She just wanted to get back to Hogwarts. Then she turned around. "Can I borrow a copy of that file?" she asked.

"I'll get my secretary right on that."

* * *

Cadance resisted her strong desire to return to Hogwarts and tell her uncle. First, she knew she had to get to the bottom of the reason behind Jen's transfer. So, naturally, Cornelius Fudge was surprised when she kicked open his door.

"Miss Dumbledore! What is the meaning of this!" he exclaimed as he stood up from his desk. His secretary was at Cadance's heels as she entered the room.

"I'm sorry, sir, but she wouldn't stop," she said.

"It's alright, Beatrice, just go alert security," said Fudge.

Cadance opened the file she held in her hand and pulled a paper out of it. She slammed it down on the desk. "Why did you authorize this transfer!"

Fudge peered at it cautiously. "I checked the name against the records McGonagall had sent over. There is no Jennifer Rogers scheduled to start at Hogwarts. Naturally, I thought it wasn't worth using Ministry resources to keep track of a muggle."

"No!" exclaimed Cadance. "You were already Minister when you had her transferred. Look at the date. You KNEW who she was! You are trying to punish me!"

"I really have no idea what you're talking about," said Fudge with a stony face.

"You do!" exclaimed Cadance as two Aurors came in.

"Ah, just in time," said Fudge. "Please escort Miss Dumbledore out of the building."

"You can't hide from me, Fudge!" spat Cadance. "You and I both know what you did!"

"Prove it," said Fudge. He sat back down at his desk. Cadance waved her hand and two of the legs on Fudge's chair disappeared, causing the chair to tilt and Fudge to fall on his face. As the two Aurors rushed over to help Fudge, Cadance strode out of the office, but not before getting Jen's transfer paper back off of Fudge's desk.

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, Cadance ran the entire way to her uncle's office. She paused in front of the stone gargoyle to catch her breath. But she found that the more she hesitated, the harder it became to go and tell her uncle what she had found out that morning. She took several deep breaths and was about to say the password when the gargoyle sprang aside on its own. Cadance leapt back in surprise as her uncle stepped out into the hallway.

"Good morning, Cadance!" he said cheerfully. "Still not speaking to me today?"

Cadance had forgotten about that. She tried to answer, but no words came out. Instead her eyes began to fill with tears. Her uncle frowned at her and then steered her up the winding staircase to his office. He sat her down in a chair and handed her a tissue. He waited until she had dried her eyes before asking, "What's wrong?"

"I'm so sorry," she said sniffling. "It's all my fault!"

"Sometimes some fights happen, even between people who really care about each other…" began Dumbledore.

"No, that's not it," said Cadance. "It's Jen."

Dumbledore's brow furrowed. "What is it?" he asked slowly.

"She's gone," she said. "They don't know where she is."

"How do you know?" he asked.

"I went to the Ministry this morning and they didn't know who she was because you put her in under a fake name," said Cadance. "So no one questioned it when Fudge transferred her somewhere where she wouldn't be watched by the Ministry."

"Fudge did it?" asked Dumbledore.

"To get back at me!" exclaimed Cadance. "Here's your proof." She pulled a crumpled paper out of her robe pocket.

Dumbledore pulled her into a hug. "It's okay. It's not your fault," he said.

"I want my sister back," said Cadance.

"They'll find her," said Dumbledore. "I'll go down there right away."

"At least we have each other," said Cadance softly.

"Yes," said Dumbledore. "We'll always have that."

Meanwhile, down in the dungeons, Cati hurried along the corridor to her uncle's office. She could sense… well, she didn't know what it was, but it was something. Just as she was about to come upon his office, the door burst open and Snape was projectiled out. He landed on his back. Suddenly a green, prickly vine shot forward from inside the office and wrapped itself around the door handle and pulled the door shut.

"Uncle Severus!" she exclaimed hurrying forward to help her uncle to his feet. "What was that!"

"_That_, young lady, would be the cactus," said Snape icily.

"Hmmmm," said Cati. "That is the last time I buy potted plants with funny names down in Knockturn Alley then!"

"And _why_, pray tell, were you down there?" he asked with an unpleasant sneer.

"I was tailing a demon," said Cati. "But I lost him when I was distracted by this man with his hood up and he showed me this cactus."

"Well, young lady, you're going to get rid of it _now_," hissed Snape.

"Geez! Alright!" exclaimed Cati defensively. "Don't get your knickers in a bunch. Now let me see." She opened the door and poked her head in. "Why, hello, Mr. Cact… AHH!" She quickly jumped back and slammed the door shut. As soon as she shut it, they heard a sharper _thud_ as something hit it. "I think it multiplied!"

"We better call Professor Sprout," said Snape.

"No, it's ok!" exclaimed Cati. "I've got this! I just need a minute…" She ran off down the hallway. Snape sighed and stalked off to his room. He needed to lie down.

* * *

Cadance was having a pretty shitty morning, if she did say so herself. So when Cati ran into their bedroom, where Cadance was lying down trying to sort things out, and screamed, "I've got to save the castle!" before diving into the closet, she figured it wasn't going to get any better.

"Although," she thought as Cati ran out of the room with a sword and a shield, "It can't get much worse." She slid off the bed and grabbed her wand from the dresser and slowly headed in the direction Cati had taken. Just in case.

She followed her down to the dungeons where Cati ran to her uncle's office and flung open the door. "Alright! That's it! No more Miss Nice Witch!" she exclaimed before running inside. Cadance stopped about 20 meters down the corridor from the office and cocked an eyebrow. She heard bumps and thuds of many variations before Cati was thrown out the room and a strange green prickly vine pulled the door shut.

"Cati?" said Cadance in confusion.

"Damn cactus," said Cati under her breath.

"Do you want some help?" asked Cadance, walking over and helping her friend to her feet.

"Sure," said Cati. "And then after we can go get some ice cream from the kitchens and you can tell me why you've been crying all morning."

"How…?" began Cadance.

"My empathetic powers," said Cati. "I _always_ know what you're feeling. So don't try to hide it."

"I'll keep that in mind," said Cadance.

"Now let's go!" exclaimed Cati, grinning like a Cheshire cat. "Charge!" She ran forward and tugged the door open and charged in.

And Cadance briefly wondered how a person who could be perfectly insane and rational one minute could be wielding a sword and shouting, "charge!" as they bolted off to subdue a cactus the next, before she followed her friend into Snape's cactus-infested office.

**End Note: If you're reading this, please please PLEASE drop a review and say what you think! I'd love to hear from you!** **Just review to let me know you're reading!**


	5. Tipsy Days

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's

A/N: **PLEASE REVIEW!**

"It's… very nice," said Professor McGonagall looking around the very small, very bare flat. Cadance and Cati looked around appreciatively. They were obviously very pleased with their choice in dwelling-space.

"It's a dump," said Snape with a sneer.

"I know! Isn't it great!" exclaimed Cati excitedly.

"Honestly, girls," said Dumbledore. "I think we can do better than this."

"Hey! We happen to like our little shit hole!" exclaimed Cadance.

"Yeah!" exclaimed Cati. "It's got charm."

Just then, Bill and Charlie walked in through the open door. "Whoa! Nice place!" said Bill appreciatively.

"Mom sent pie," said Charlie handing Cati a box.

"Honestly, you two think it's okay for them to live like this?" asked McGonagall.

"Yeah!" answered Charlie. "This is great!"

"Well, when the roof caves in, you'll find us at Hogwarts," said Dumbledore stealing a look at the crack in the ceiling. "We'll see you soon." Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape said their goodbyes and then returned to Hogwarts, leaving Cadance, Cati, Bill, and Charlie alone.

"Want some help unpacking?" asked Bill.

"Nah, we'll be fine," answered Cati.

"Thanks though," said Cadance. "Tomorrow we start Auror Training. And after… we party."

"Okay," said Bill. "Kala's business is doing well. Maybe she'll leave the bar for the night and join us."

"I haven't seen her in ages!" exclaimed Cati. "I can't believe she turned down the job the Ministry offered her and instead took a job in another department that put her in a _bar_!"

"And then she _bought_ the bar," said Charlie.

"She _bought the bar_!" exclaimed Cadance.

"After Auror training, we'll take you out to drinks at Kala's to celebrate," said Charlie with a nod.

* * *

"Kala!" exclaimed Cadance and Cati at the same time as they ran into the dimly lit bar. Behind the bar, Kala's head snapped in their direction. A grin spread across her face as Cadance and Cati barreled over the bar and knocked her to the floor in a very big hug. 

The bar was Ministry-owned at one point. Tipsy's Tavern, it was called. It was a safe-haven for demons… so long as they behaved themselves. Most were powerless and vanquished. Some looked human; others looked… demonic. Wizards and Witches often patronized Tipsy's as well. There was a pool table in one corner and tables crowded everywhere. Kala had recently bought the bar and was now running it with Ministry supervision.

"Wow!" exclaimed Kala. "I haven't seen you two in forever!" They scrambled to their feet. Bill, Charlie, and Drew, who had walked in just behind them, were already sitting at the bar.

"What's up, Kala?" asked Bill.

"Hold on," said Kala. "I've got a few orders to take and then I'll come talk to you guys."

"Well, things are a bit too quiet for my taste," said Drew.

"Want me or Cadance to try to vanquish one of these demons?" asked Cati. "It'll get noisy real fast."

"No, that's strictly forbidden," said Drew. "Anyway, I've got this. You see, I've made it through the wilderness. Somehow, I've made it though…"

"Uh oh," said Bill as music began to play out of nowhere. "No way. Not again."

"What?" asked Cadance and Cati simultaneously as Charlie began to bang his head off the bar.

"Plug your ears," said Bill, covering his own.

Cadance and Cati, however, just continued to watch Drew as he climbed up on the bar and began to sing. "_Like a virgin! Touched for the very first time! Like a Vi-ir-ir-irgin_…"

Suddenly, out of nowhere, a spell hit drew square in the chest and he fell off the bar and landed with a loud thud. Instinctively, Cadance and Cati drew their own wands, but lowered them when they saw it was Kala who was rushing forward with her wand out. She leaned over the bar and looked at Drew, who lay where he fell. "I told you last time," said Kala. "If you're going to karaoke, _pick a different song_."

"Cati," deadpanned Cadance. "Do you think your brother is gay?"

"I do now," said Cati equaling Cadance's tone.

Kala walked back around to the back of the bar as Drew took his seat again. "Kala, where did the music come from?" asked Cadance.

"Magic," said Kala winking.

"This is the coolest place _ever_!" exclaimed Cati appreciatively. "I want to work here!"

"Yeah, screw being Aurors," said Cadance jokingly.

"Wanna do both?" asked Kala.

"What?"

"They don't pay you through Auror training," said Kala. "I could use two bar tenders who can handle the customers for two days a week," said Kala. "What do you say?"

"Okay!" exclaimed Cati. Cadance nodded with her.

"You start Wednesday," said Kala.

* * *

Wednesday rolled around, and Cadance and Cati showed up for their first late-night shift at Tipsy's Tavern. "Oh good," said Kala as the walked in. It was around 8:45 PM and their shift was supposed to start in 15 minutes. Kala indicated to a guy behind the bar. "Girls, this is Matt. He's going to help you out for your first few shifts, and then you're on your own. He's my bartender on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. You guys will be working Tuesdays and Wednesdays. I have another guy who works all weekend and he may float in and out during the week. Now put on your aprons and go see Matt." 

Cadance and Cati nodded and went behind the bar. "You must be Cadance and Cati," said Matt smiling pleasantly.

"Guilty," said Cati as they put on aprons.

"Well, here's where we keep the glasses," said Matt as he pointed. "There's the alcohol. And here's the book with all the recipes for mixed drinks, just in case. It won't start to pick up in here until about 10:30. Do you have any questions?"

"No, I think we're good," said Cadance.

"One more thing," said Matt. "How do you feel about dating co-workers?"

Cati just winked at him.

At about 1:00 in the morning, Cadance went into Kala's office. "Where's Cati?" asked Kala.

"I don't know," said Cadance. "She and Matt went to go get some more rum from the back room about 15 minutes ago."

"Oh," said Kala, cocking an eyebrow. "Well, your shift is over, so I guess you guys can just go. I'll see you this weekend?"

"Most likely," said Cadance.

"So how was it?" asked Kala.

"Not bad. I think Cati and Matt kind of hit it off, if you know what I mean," said Cadance raising her eyebrows suggestively.

Kala paused then said, "How many people does it take to get some rum from the back room and how long do you think it should take?"

* * *

Cadance and Cati adjusted to their new schedule, which consisted of Auror training during the day, working at the bar two nights a week, and hanging out with Drew, Bill, Charlie, and Kala during the weekends. Cati started to date Matt. 

One Friday night, about a month later, Cadance, Cati, Bill, Drew, and Charlie were sitting at the bar in Tipsy's Tavern. Matt was working. It was rather busy, so Kala was mixing drinks as well. Cadance and Cati helped out by delivering a drink to a table every little once in a while.

After one such little trip, Cati returned to her seat with a slight spring in her step. She glanced at Matt, who was serving someone at the other end of the bar and then said, "Hey guys, that man at that corner table just gave me a 5 galleon tip for delivering his drinks."

"Great," said Bill. "The next round is on you."

"I think he's going to come back in on Wednesday when we are working," she added.

"Wait, aren't you dating Matt?" asked Charlie.

"Well, yeah," said Cati. "We never said it was exclusive though. I'm allowed to flirt!"

"My sister," said Drew. "The bar slut of Tipsy's Tavern."

"God, I hate dating," said Cadance. "I've got enough on my plate without having to wonder where another person is and what they are doing and whether or not I should be doing something with them right then and stuff like that. There's not need to add emotional attachment to a person."

"Hey! What about me!" asked Cati.

"Unless that other person is Cati," added Cadance. "But not for the same reasons."

"You've got commitment issues," said Charlie. "Have another shot."

"Yes, because that will solve _everything_," said Cadance sarcastically, but took another shot anyway.

About 20 minutes and roughly 30 shots split between the five of them later…

Drew and Bill had their arms draped around each other's shoulders as they sang loudly, "… _But there ain't no way I'm ever gonna love you. But don't be sad. 'Cause two out of three ain't bad!"_

"Is it just me," laughed Cadance, "or have they sang that song about six times now?"

"Nah. All of Meatloaf's songs are really long," said Charlie, and Drew and Bill continued singing and Cati joined in.

"Oh, I don't like meatloaf unless it has catsup on it," slurred Cadance.

Charlie cocked his eyebrow at her. "You're drunk. You lightweight!" said Charlie, who was just a little tipsy. "So I could probably ask you ANYTHING right now and you would probably answer honestly."

"I have no control of what my brain is making me say," said Cadance.

"I noticed when you told that man that his boob job looked real," said Charlie. "So why don't you like to date?"

"Because dating leads to relationships," said Cadance matter-of-factly. "And in relationships, I end up screwed." She paused and then burst out laughing. "I didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"You just need to date the right guy," said Charlie. "Instead of a… demon."

"I think I need to date a penguin. A penguin would be perfect. They're real cute, and they wouldn't eat my cereal in the morning," said Cadance.

"Yeah, a penguin _would_ be perfect," said Charlie laughing.

"Charlie," said Cadance. "I'm sleepy." And before Charlie could respond, she fell forward. Charlie caught her.

"Cadance?" asked Charlie, giving her a gentle shake. She was out cold. "Wow, she really is a lightweight. Kala, we've got one down!"

"Damn, that was fast," said Kala.

"It's alright. I'll take her home," said Charlie. "Cati, I'm taking Cadance home!"

"Bye Charlie, I love you!" exclaimed Cati, running forward and kissing Charlie's cheek. "And I love you and you and you!" She pointed at Cadance, Drew, and Bill.

Charlie shifted Cadance's weight so he had a better grip on her. He Apparated out and into Cadance and Cati's living room. Cadance started to come around and Charlie helped her to the couch. Then he went to the kitchen and got her some water. "Cadance, drink this," he said, helping her sit up.

"I don't want to," she responded, barely coherently.

"You have to, or you'll feel sick," he said helping her to take a drink. "Come on, babe." He helped her up and held her steady.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"You're going to bed," answered Charlie, walking her down the hallway.

"But I have to wait up for Cati," said Cadance groggily.

"I don't think Cati's coming back tonight," said Charlie. "And you are going to have one impressive hangover in the morning."

"Wait, are you going?" asked Cadance.

"I was going to put you in bed first, but yes," said Charlie. By this time they were in her room. She sat down on her bed.

"Can you please just stay and watch TV with me for a bit?" asked Cadance.

"Sure," said Charlie, grabbing her hand and helping her stand up. They went back to the living room and sat on the couch. Charlie grabbed the remote and flipped through the channels.

In less than five minutes, Cadance had her head on Charlie's shoulder and her eyes closed. "Cadance?" asked Charlie quietly.

"I'm not sleeping," she responded without opening her eyes.

"I'll take your word on it," said Charlie.

She lifted her head up and opened her eyes. "Are you leaving?" she asked.

"Not yet," said Charlie.

"Don't," said Cadance. And then she did something that Charlie wasn't expecting. She leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

After about a second Charlie pulled away and grabbed the sides of her face. He put his forehead up to hers and said, "You're drunk."

She responded by putting her head back down on his shoulder and closing her eyes.

* * *

"Miss Dumbledore! Miss Dumbledore, wake up!" 

Cadance grunted and tried to roll over. The next second, however, she found herself on the floor. "Ow!" she said sitting up. She looked around and discovered that she was between the coffee able and the couch. Charlie was still on the couch, beginning to stir. In the fireplace, there were green flames with the head of Mr. Bradley Patterson of the Office of Child Witches and Wizards in the Department for Muggle Cooperation and Muggle-born Witches and Wizards.

"Mr. Patterson, what is it?" asked Cadance, struggling a bit to get to her feet.

"I need you to come into the Ministry right away," he said. "They may have found your sister."

"Where is she?" asked Cadance excitedly.

Patterson paused. "It'd be better for you to just come down here."

"No," refused Cadance. By this time, Charlie was awake and sitting on the couch. "You can tell me right now. Where is she?"

"She _may_ be in a morgue in London, but we're not sure," said Patterson. "It might not be her."

Cadance sunk slowly onto her couch, speechless. Charlie spoke up for her. "She'll be there in five minutes." Patterson's head disappeared from the fireplace and the green flames went out. "Come on, Cadance," said Charlie gently, as he adjusted the robes he was still wearing from the night before. "Put on something you can go to the muggle world in." He grabbed her hands and helped her off the couch. "I'll go to your uncle and tell him."

"You're not coming with me?" asked Cadance.

Charlie paused and looked her in the eyes. "Of course I am."

Less than five minutes later, Cadance and Charlie were in Patterson's office. Charlie had shed his robes and was just wearing the clothes he had on underneath since the night before. "Come on, there's a car waiting out front for us," said Patterson. "I'll explain everything I know on the way." He escorted them out of the building and opened the back door of the car for Cadance and Charlie before he slid in himself. It was surprisingly roomy. He had a quick word with the driver and as the car began to move he began his story.

"After you came in last month, Miss Dumbledore," he began. "I made a visit to the last group home we knew of your sister being in. The woman who ran it, Miss Foreman, was very helpful. When word came down that Jen was to be moved, she personally handled the transfer. She was able to tell me where Jen was transferred. She even gave me an address. So I went there. Unfortunately, the home had been torn down and the children there were sent to various orphanages all over this side of England. There records of who went where seem to have disappeared. And for all we know, Jen wasn't even there for long."

"So why are we now in a car on our way to the _morgue_," asked Cadance.

"Miss Foreman filed a missing person's report with the muggle police after my visit," said Patterson. "They called me to say a young girl fitting Jen's description had been found dead in an alley way. We are going to ID the body."

Cadance almost began crying right then and there at having her sister be referred to as "the body", but she restrained herself. Instead, she asked, "How are we supposed to do that? I don't even know what she looks like. I don't even know what my own sister looks like."

"Miss Foreman is going to meet us there," said Patterson. "She'll be able to tell us if it's Jen or not." Suddenly, the car came to a stop. "We're here." They all slid out of the car and then walked inside. After Patterson talked to the person at the front desk, they were led down a hallway and into a room. It was a small room, with no furniture. On one wall was a large window. Curtains on the other side blocked their view of whatever was in the next room. A door stood next to the window. The man who led them in said, "Are you sure you want to do this right now, ma'am?"

"Hmm, what?" asked Cadance, shaken out of her pensive silence. Charlie could tell why the man had asked. Cadance didn't look well. She was very pale and looked as if she might collapse at any moment. He had never seen her like this before and it scared him a little.

"Are you sure you don't want to wait a few minutes for Miss Foreman to come?" asked the man. "She's very good at comforting the families in situations such as yours. It's often hard for people to see dead bodies."

"I see worse," said Cadance. "I'm used to… just not when it could be my sister. I need to do this."

"Okay," said the man. He opened the door and entered, closing he door behind him. A second later, the curtains opened and they all looked through the window into a room no bigger than the one they were in; except this room had a table in the center. On the table was the lifeless body of a little girl in a hospital gown. She had long red hair.

The man came out of the room, again shutting the door between the two rooms. "I'll just leave you alone then," he said.

"I'll come with you," said Patterson. "To wait for Miss Foreman." They both left.

Cadance and Charlie stood in silence for a minute then Charlie put his hand on Cadance's shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked.

"I don't know," said Cadance shaking her head. "I guess it _could_ be her. When Patterson was talking in the car, I was hoping that when we got here, it would be blatantly obvious it wasn't her. This waiting is the worst."

"I know," said Charlie.

"And then if it _isn't_ her," said Cadance, "there is _more_ waiting and wondering. Where _is_ she?"

Charlie pulled her into a hug. "It's not fair," said Charlie. "But you have to take things as life gives them to you. Everything will be okay."

"I know," whispered Cadance.

Just then, the door opened and Patterson strode in with a woman. The woman walked right up to the window and paused there for a second. "That is _not_ Jennifer," she declared.

There was a pause as the three absorbed the information. Then Cadance, who had held in tears all morning, broke down and began to bawl. She threw her arms around Charlie's neck. "Thank God," she sobbed.

"I'll go inform the people at the front desk," said Patterson exiting the room.

A split-second later, there was a quiet cracking sound then suddenly Albus Dumbledore was standing in front of them. "Any news?" he asked.

Cadance and Charlie's eyes grew wide and their heads snapped to Miss Foreman. They were further surprised, however, when she greeted him.

"Ah, Professor Dumbledore," she said smiling. "Right on time. I just got here myself. It is _not_ Jen."

"Wait, you're a witch?" asked Cadance.

"I work for the Ministry," she said. "We help keep track of muggle orphans who are actually witches and wizards. I _thought_ it was strange when Jen was transferred out from under my watchful eye. Anyway, when Patterson told me what was up a few weeks ago, I began looking for Jen's file. And when he called me today, I thought it best to contact Professor Dumbledore." She rummaged through her large bag and pulled out a file. "This is some things that we have kept from Jennifer. There is some artwork and a few photographs. I thought you might like it."

Cadance, speechless, took the file from her. "Thank you."

"But I really must be going," she said. "I'll keep in touch." She bustled out of the room.

"What just happened?" asked Cadance, drying her eyes.

"Your sister isn't dead. That's all that matters," said Dumbledore, taking the file from her and opening it up. He pulled out a photograph and held it up. Cadance and Charlie looked over his shoulder at it.

"She looks just like mom," commented Cadance, taking the picture from him so she could examine it more closely.

"Yes, she does," said Dumbledore. "Now why don't both of you go shower, and then meet me at Hogwarts for breakfast. I'll tell the House Elves to keep the kitchen open a little longer. And perhaps one of them can whip up something to cure your hangovers."

* * *

After showering, Charlie Apparated to Cadance and Cati's flat. Cati was sitting I the living room, still wearing her clothes from the night before, casually flipping through a newspaper. "Hey, Charlie," she said. 

"Hey. When did you get back?" asked Charlie.

"Just a second ago," answered Cati. "Cadance is in the shower."

"Have you talked to her yet?" asked Charlie.

"No, she was in the shower when I got here," answered Cati. "Actually, I'm just _assuming_ that it's Cadance who is in the shower right now. I think it's a pretty safe assumption."

"This morning, someone from the Ministry contacted Cadance to tell her Jen might be dead," said Charlie. Cati's eyes grew wide and Charlie added, "It was a false alarm. We went into London and someone who had known Jen came in and confirmed it wasn't her."

"Thank God, said Cati. "I wish I had just come home…"

"It's fine. Everything turned out fine," said Charlie.

"Did you spend the night last night?" asked Cati. "Your robes are on the chair."

"Yeah," answered Charlie. "I was just going to drop her off, but she wanted me to stay. So how late did you stay at Kala's?"

"Not too much longer than you did," answered Cati. "Drew left right after you, and then Bill and I went back to his place…"

"Wait," interrupted Charlie. "You went back to _Bill's_, not _Matt's_?"

"Yeah," said Cati. "Why?"

"Why weren't you at Matt's?" asked Charlie. "How did you end up at Bill's instead of your boyfriend's?"

"I don't know," said Cati. "Once second we were singing Meatloaf songs and the next thing I remember, we were playing strip poker in Bill's living room."

"How'd you do?" asked Charlie.

"Don't remember," answered Cati scratching her head. "We were both fully clothed when we woke up this morning."

"Like you are now?" asked Charlie.

"Yeah."

"You're buttoned crooked," said Charlie pointing at her blouse.

Cati looked down and then shrugged. "Well, it was quite a night," she said. "Did you and Cadance do anything fun?"

Charlie's mind wandered briefly to the night before when Cadance had kissed him. "No," he responded. "We just came back here and fell asleep."

Just then, Cadance came into the room. She was pulling her hair up into a ponytail. "Hey," said Cati. "I heard about Jen. Or… the _lack_ of Jen. Whatever. Are you okay?"

"Yeah," said Cadance. "I'll be ok. It was just frightening for a little."

"Hey, if you spent the night, Charlie, where did you sleep?" asked Cati raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"I… uhhh…" Charlie looked over at Cadance. Did she remember what had happened between them last night? Did she remember what _could_ have happened? Apparently, he had hesitated too long in responding to Cati's tease, because both girls were looking at him strangely. To cover, Charlie said, "Cati spent the night at Bills and lost at strip poker."

"You and Bill?" asked Cadance in surprise.

"We're not together!" argued Cati.

Cadance looked at her dubiously. She rolled her eyes then said, "We're going to Hogwarts for breakfast. Want to come? We'll wait for you to get ready."

"No need to wait, I'm ready now," said Cati standing up.

"You're going to go like _that_?" asked Charlie.

"Hey, I'm _hungry_," argued Cati. "I'll brush me teach and throw on robes overtop of my clothes, but then we're going!" She wandered off to the bathroom.

Cadance straightened her robes mechanically and cleared her throat. "Umm… Charlie? Last night… what… how…?" She couldn't quite form her question into a sentence.

"I brought you back here and we fell asleep on the couch watching TV," answered Charlie.

"And nothing…" began Cadance.

"No," he lied. He wasn't about to lose one of his best friends over awkwardness caused by drunken shenanigans.

Cati walked back in, pulling an arm through her robes. "Alright, let's go," she said, getting tangled up as she tried to put her other arm through. Cadance grabbed the shoulder of Cati's robes to help her. Once she was untangled, she held out the sleeve for Cati to slip her arm through. Cati then straightened her robes.

"Uh, Cati," said Charlie. "You're still buttoned crookedly."

Cati looked down and adjusted her robes to cover her front better. "Whatever. I'm _hungry_. Let's go!"

It was warm as they walked up to the school from Hogsmeade. "You couldn't even just change your shirt," said Cadance to Cati as she shook her head.

"This is a _nice_ blouse," argued Cati.

"Nice for a night at Kala's," commented Cadance.

"Cati, we're going to breakfast at _Hogwarts_. Your _uncle_ will be there. Your uncle is _Severus Snape_. It was probably not wise to wear last night's _bar-hopping_ shirt. Especially when it reveals that much boobage," said Charlie.

"You shouldn't be looking at my boobage," said Cati.

"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't want Bill to get mad at me," said Charlie.

Cati slapped him on the back of his head. "Watch it, Charlie," she said. "And don't say shit like that in front of my uncle when we get in there."

They reached the front doors, and she grabbed the handle and pulled. They entered the cast. "Now let's get something to eat. I'm still starving!" said Cati.

"Stop being loud, Cati. My head is killing me," said Cadance.

"Well then perhaps you shouldn't have drank heavily last night," said a voice on their left. They looked over to see McGonagall coming down the staircase.

"How do you bloody do that?" asked Cadance frustratingly.

"The food's getting cold," said McGonagall ignoring her question.

Cati bolted into the Great Hall, with the others right behind. School had barely been in session for a month. A few students were still finishing their breakfast.

Dumbledore, Snape, and Sinistra were the only three remaining at the Head Table. Charlie, Cadance, Cati, and McGonagall joined them. Cati plopped down in the seat next to her uncle. "Hello, Uncle Severus!" she exclaimed happily as she began to pile bacon on her plate.

"Catalin, take something besides bacon," said Snape without looking up from his breakfast. Everyone else took their seats. Cadance sat next to her uncle and Charlie sat next to Cadance. McGonagall moved to the other side of Cati.

"Here," said Dumbledore pouring a strange-colored liquid from a pitcher on the table into two goblets and passing them to Cadance and Charlie. "This will cure your hangovers. Can I interest you in a glass, Cati?"

"Oh, no, thank you," said Cati reaching for the sausage. "Not hung-over."

"No, Catalin," said Snape, swatting her hand away from the sausage. "I meant something healthy." He put some fruit on her plate next to the bacon.

Cadance and Charlie, meanwhile, had taken sips of their drinks. A strange look crossed Cadance's face. "Oh gross," said Cadance. "What are you feeding us?"

"Just drink it," responded Dumbledore.

"So what did you have planned for today?" asked McGonagall.

"Nothing really," said Cati.

"Then why exactly are you dressed the way you are?" asked Snape with a sneer.

"Oh, this is what I wore to the bar last night," said Cati. Cadance and Charlie shook their heads. "I didn't have time to change because I didn't get back until this morning."

"Oh boy," sighed Cadance.

"Catalin, eat your fruit," said Snape simply.

"Cati, your shirt is buttoned wrong," said McGonagall.

Cati looked down at her shirt then back up again. "Don't judge me."

* * *

"Cadance Dumbledore and Catalin Nuperson," said Bob Reynolds, Head Auror, as he walked into his office. Both girls were sitting in chairs in front of his desk. He took a seat behind it. "As you know, you passed Auror Training last week." 

"Oh, is _that_ what that was?" asked Cati. "I thought that obstacle course was a party game. I was wondering why I didn't win a prize for making it through."

"You've got quite a mouth there, Nuperson," said Reynolds.

"I'm working on it, Sir," said Cati

Reynolds continued, "We were happy with your performance, so we have decided to offer you both positions as Aurors."

"After going through _Auror_ training and_ Auror_ camp, I am _completely _shocked that you're offering us jobs as _Aurors_," said Cati. Reynolds raised an eyebrow at her. "Clearly, I need to work a little harder."

"Its dangerous business being an Auror," said Reynolds. "It's stressful. It puts a strain on existing relationships, and makes it hard to forge new ones. Aurors become withdrawn, and, to be honest, they're better off that way. It's hard for us, after coming home from work, seeing the things we have seen, to sit around and have a normal conversation with other people. You should think this decision through before you make it."

"No offense, Sir," said Cadance, "but I don't think we need to think about it. It's a family legacy, sir. We were basically bred for this."

"We like to give our trainees six months before they have to give us an answer. You won't get paid during those six months because you are not obligated to any duties," said Reynolds.

"Are you saying we have six months off before we have to start working?" asked Cati.

"Well, basically, yes," answered Reynolds.

Cadance and Cati exchanged a look. "Bye," they said in unison.

"See you in six months," added Cati. They both got up and went out the door.

"So…" asked Cadance as they walked through the Ministry. "What do you want to do for the next six months?"

"Wanna go to Tipsy's?"

* * *

"Kala, what are we going to do for the next six months?" asked Cati casually as she and Cadance seated themselves at the bar. 

"Ah, done with Auror Training, eh?" asked Kala. "I always thought six months was a ridiculous amount of time."

"Well, they probably did that when Voldemort was around because it was dangerous to be an Auror," said Cati. "It just stuck."

"Yeah, but that's when they needed Aurors most," said Kala. "And besides, he's gone. It's not nearly as dangerous to be and Auror anymore. You keep order now. No battling, rarely dueling. They don't even train you for large-scale disturbances, like when Death Eaters used to attack. They only still train Unspeakables for that, and there are only a handful of them anyway. Should the Death Eaters ever organize themselves under a new leader, I doubt most Aurors would be prepared to handle it."

"Kala, why did you leave the Aurors?" asked Cati.

"I already told you guys. I didn't agree with the training. And I wasn't happy with just sitting around waiting for the rare occasion when you get railed in to actually _do_ something," said Kala. "They're not hunting Death Eaters anymore. They're not _fighting_ Death Eaters anymore. You two are going to spend the rest of your working lives breaking up disturbances, investigating break-ins, and seizing potentially dark objects." Suddenly there was a large crash from somewhere at the back of the bar. "Now excuse me while I go break up those two demons and clean up the broken glass." She grabbed a broom from the corner and stalked off to break up the fight, holding the broom in front of her like a weapon.

"Isn't it ironic how Reynolds just got finished telling us that it's hard to be an Auror, and Kala just got finished telling us the opposite?" asked Cadance.

"She's got a point you know," said Cati pensively. "We aren't trained well enough that if any Death Eater-like organization ever attacked, we wouldn't be able to fight them. Well, _you _and _I_ would because we're used to it with demons, but the Aurors in general would not."

"I know," said Cadance quietly.

"Do you think we'll be bored?" asked Cati.

"Maybe for a little bit," said Cadance. "But I had that premonition…"

"I know," interrupted Cati.

"Harry is almost in Hogwarts. In my premonition he couldn't possibly have been out of Hogwarts yet. He looked to be about thirteen or fourteen. Maybe fifteen. It's only a matter of time now."

"What do we do until then?" asked Cati.

"Well, we wait," said Cadance.

"I hate waiting," pouted Cati. "I'm too impatient."

"There's nothing we can do about that at this point," said Cadance.

"But once Voldemort comes back then all the fun starts, right?" asked Cati.

"Cati!" admonished Cadance.

"You know what I mean!" countered Cati. "I mean _then_ we get to do the fun Death Eater-fighting, ass-kicking stuff. I didn't sign on to spend the rest of my days being bored out of my mind." She leaned over the bar and grabbed a bottle of rum.

"Cati! It's not even noon!"

**End Note: Please please please please review! Just drop a few words to let me know you're reading!**


	6. Professor Quirrell has gotten strange

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize as belonging to someone else. Cadance is mine. Cati and Drew belong to Lady Potter. Her story doesn't have them as the same ages that I do, but they're still the same characters. Pretty much everyone else belongs to J.K. Rowling.**

**A/N: Please please please review!**

Six months passed quickly, and before they knew it, Cadance and Cati were back in the Auroring Department working full-time. They quit their job at Kala's, but were there every weekend. Cati continued to date Matt. As Kala predicted, they were fairly bored. They rarely were called out of the office, and often had to sift through mindless paperwork.

Drew, who was a few years older and a rank above them, often stopped by the girls' adjoining cubicles in the Ministry's Auroring Department. On one such occasion in late May, Drew joined Cadance and Cati in Cadance's cubicle. All three Aurors had their feet up on Cadance's desk and were enjoying a peaceful morning while eating ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream.

"So why are we eating ice cream again?" asked Drew.

"Well, I suppose we're eating it to illustrate to the readers the kind of laid-back job being an Auror has become," said Cati.

"What?" asked Drew.

"I said we're eating it because it's hot in here," said Cati.

"Ah," said Drew, with his mouth full of ice cream.

"So what do you guys want to do?" asked Cati. "Crossword puzzle?"

"Nah, Cadance gets violent when the answer she comes up with has the right number of letters but isn't the right answer," said Drew. "Office bowling?"

"No, Cati and I got yelled at for that yesterday. Apparently Bob Reynolds thinks that using all the rubber bands in the supply room to make a rubber band bowling ball is _not_ good use of Auror resources. He made us take it apart," answered Cadance.

"What did you do with it?" asked Drew. Cati lifted her foot and brought it sharply down on the desk. Cadance's bottom drawer popped open. It was overflowing with rubber bands.

"Nice," said Drew.

"Nuperson! Dumbledore!" barked a voice from around the corner.

Cadance and Cati jumped up and saluted as a gruff-looking man turned the corner. "Yes sir, Major Beckham, sir!" said Cati.

"Stop it, Nuperson!" snapped Beckham.

"Which one?" asked Drew.

"Don't you have paperwork due by 3?" asked Beckham. Drew sighed and stood up. He waved to Cadance and Cati before stalking off.

"Put your arms down, you two. What have I told you about mocking authority?" asked Beckham.

They obeyed and he continued. "I have an assignment for you," he said.

"A mission?" asked Cati with interest.

"Hardly," said Beckham. "An escort assignment."

"A what?" asked Cadance. "For who?"

"An escort assignment," answered Beckham. "For Headmaster Dumbledore."

"We're escorting my uncle?" asked Cadance. "Honestly, Major, if anyone tries anything silly, I think it's more like that _he'll_ end up protecting _us_."

"You're not escorting him, Dumbledore; you're escorting someone _to_ him," said Beckham. "Headmaster Dumbledore requested you two specifically."

"Why do they need and escort?" asked Cati.

"And who is it?" added Cadance.

"Oh, that's a better question!" exclaimed Cati. "Answer that one first."

"It's all in the folder," said Beckham, handing them a file. "You're to meet him in the Leaky Cauldron at 3 o'clock. Better get a move on it." He turned and walked out.

Cadance and Cati exchanged a look, and then huddled closer to open the folder. "Are you kidding me?" asked Cati, looking at Cadance. "Why would _he_ need an escort?"

At a quarter to 3 o'clock, Cadance and Cati had seated themselves at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron and were talking to Tom, the bartender. "Can I interest you ladies in a drink?" he asked.

"Can't, Tom, we're on official business," answered Cati.

"Something important?" asked Tom pleasantly.

"Hardly," mumbled Cadance. She looked to the door as it opened and a man in a turban entered. "Wow, Cati, there he is." She slid off the stool.

"Later, Tom," said Cati, sliding off as well.

"Professor Quirrell!" called Cadance loudly. The man nearly jumped out of his turban.

He sighed with relief as he saw who was approaching him. "Why Miss D-D-Dumbledore. M-M-Miss Nuperson. You g-g-gave me quite a f-fright."

"We're here to escort you to Hogwarts," said Cadance. "Would you like some help with your bag?"

"N-N-No!" he exclaimed, clutching it tighter.

"What's with the turban?" asked Cati.

"Nothing," said Quirrell, touching it.

Cadance and Cati exchanged a glance, then Cadance said, "Well, shall we be off?"

"Y-y-yes," answered Quirrell.

"We're going to use Floo Powder to go to the Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade then walk to Hogwarts," said Cati.

"Madame Rosmerta knows we're coming and opened the grate," added Cadance.

"Why doesn't Cadance go first and then you, Professor Quirrell, and then I'll follow?" asked Cati. "That way, in case—for whatever reason—someone decides to attack, someone's got you covered from the front and the back."

"Oh, sure, sacrifice me," said Cadance jokingly before taking some Floo Powder from Tom and tossing it into the Flames. "Three Broomsticks!" she called and stepped in.

When she rolled out of the fireplace in the Three Broomsticks, Madame Rosmerta was waiting. She helped her to her feet. Cadance brushed the soot off of herself.

"When are you going to learn to travel using Floo Powder more gracefully?" asked Rosmerta.

"I _hate_ Floo Powder," said Cadance. "Why bother getting your Apparation license at all if the Ministry isn't going to let you escort people using it."

Professor Quirrell stepped through the grate and moved to the side with Cadance and Rosmerta to make room for Cati. "Okay, let's go," said Cati, dusting herself off.

They walked up to the castle in complete silence. Professor McGonagall was awaiting their arrival at the front doors. She smiled at Quirrell and shook his hand. "Professor Quirrell, welcome back," she said. "I'm going to escort you up to Professor Dumbledore's office."

"Well, if you don't need us, we'll just go peak around a little," said Cati as she and Cadance tried to walk around her and into the castle.

"Not so fast," said McGonagall, sidestepping them. "Classes are in session. The students are preparing for finals next week. I will not have you wandering aimlessly around the halls. Go to my office and wait for me there."

She sent them off towards her office before taking Quirrell down another hallway to Dumbledore's office. "Well, this is boring," said Cadance.

"This is _weird_," said Cati. "Quirrell got strange. He wasn't nearly so strange for those two years we had him."

"Do you think he was really in Albania?" asked Cadance.

"Definitely not," said Cati.

"Rehab?" asked Cadance.

"Yeah, I'd say so," said Cati.

They reached McGonagall's office and entered. They sat down in front of her desk. Cati propped her feet up and got comfortable. "So what happened to the last Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" asked Cadance.

"I heard he and the Bloody Baron didn't get along and he left suddenly even though the term wasn't over because he was convinced the Baron put a hit out on him," said Cati.

"Where'd you hear that?" asked Cadance.

"From the ghost in the office supply room at work," said Cati.

"There's a ghost in the office supply room?" asked Cadance.

"Yeah, he comes and yells at you if he thinks you're taking too much at one time. Apparently the Ministry put him there because they had problems with people stealing office supplies. He's my friend!"

"Oh really?" asked Cadance.

"How else do you think I managed to get all those rubber bands for our rubber band ball?"

"Ah," said Cadance nodding her head.

Just then the door opened and McGonagall walked in. "Feet down, Catalin," she barked. Cati removed her feet from the desk.

"How ya doing, Minerva?" asked Cati pleasantly.

"I'll be better once this school year is over," said McGonagall heavily. "I've had enough shenanigans to last a lifetime."

"What kinds of shenanigans?" asked Cadance.

"Well, first the Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor Starkham, seems to be under the impression that the Bloody Baron hates him. He quit and moved out leaving us high and dry a few days ago. All year the two of them caused problems. Now, Professor Quirrell agreed to return, but you probably noticed he's gone a little…"

"Crazy?" asked Cadance and Cati at the same time.

"Well… yes," conceded McGonagall.

"Why did he need escorts?" asked Cadance.

"Beats me," said McGonagall. "He insisted."

"Very strange," said Cati. "We think he got involved in drugs."

"He's gotten involved with _something_," said McGonagall. Before the conversation could continue, however, Filch burst in, huffing and puffing.

"The Weasley Twins have set off dung bombs in the hallways again," he said panting.

"Blast," she muttered under her breath. "Alright, I'm on my way, Argus." He nodded and then ran off. "Both of your uncles want to see her," she added to Cadance and Cati. "I've got to deal with Weasley Twins' mess. You _did_ train them well."

"Nuh uh!" exclaimed Cati. "We never got caught!"

* * *

Five minutes later, after agreeing to meet up before leaving, Cadance made her way to Dumbledore's office as Cati headed to Snape's. At the stone gargoyle, Cadance said the password and it sprang aside. She went up the spiral staircase and knocked on the door. "Come in!" called Dumbledore's voice pleasantly.

Cadance opened the door and entered. Dumbledore was not alone in the room. There was another man there as well. He looked much older than Dumbledore, but liked Dumbledore he retained a certain youthful air about him. Both men stood as Cadance entered. "Ah, Cadance," said Dumbledore, smiling at her.

"Hello, Uncle Albus," responded Cadance walking over to him and giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"You, my dear, have gotten even lovelier since becoming an Auror," he said as he clasped her hand warmly.

"Must be all the time spent under the fluorescent lighting in the Auroring Department," said Cadance.

"You remember my friend, Nicholas Flamel, of course," said Dumbledore as he indicated to the other person.

"Of course," said Cadance, turning to Flamel. "How are you?"

"Wonderful, my dear," said Nicholas. "And you have certainly grown into a beautiful young woman." He kissed her hand.

"Thank you," said Cadance, trying not to giggle at his old-fashioned courtesy. "I can wait outside until you two are…"

"That's not necessary," said Flamel. "I'm on my way out. You'll contact me, Albus, when you've worked out the details?"

"Of course, of course" said Dumbledore. "Come on, Nicholas, I'll walk you to the gate."

"And leave your niece waiting alone? No, no, I can find my way out," said Dumbledore. "And, Albus, some friendly advice: don't let your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor too close to Professor Snape. Professor Quirrell nearly fainted from fright when he shook _my_ hand. Imagine if he meets Severus." And with that, Nicholas Flamel bowed out.

"What in the name of Merlin is wrong with Professor Quirrell?" asked Cadance as soon as Flamel had left.

"I admit, he is a little skitterish," said Dumbledore. "In fact he seemed right eager to leave the room the minute he got here. I can't imagine why. Nicholas hardly has the look of a maniac."

"Why didn't you just hire someone else? Isn't it a little strange to have a Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor who is afraid of his own shadow?" asked Cadance.

"He was the _only_ one to apply," said Dumbledore. "It's getting harder and harder to hold a Professor in that position. People are beginning to say it's cursed. But Quirrell held the position before, so I thought he'd be a good choice anyway."

"Strange," said Cadance, shaking her head. She paused to look out the window. Then, suddenly a thought occurred to her. "What was Nicholas doing here?" she asked, turning back to look at him.

"He just came for a visit," answered Dumbledore.

"From what I know of him, he's not the kind to just drop by unannounced in the middle of the school day. And you're not the kind to schedule a visit with someone when you're waiting to welcome your new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor," said Cadance. "You don't mix business and pleasure. No, this was business and _business_."

"I'd better write to your superiors immediately and tell them to give you more to do. You're getting so bored in the office that you're looking for something in places where there is nothing," said Dumbledore.

"Nicholas asked you to contact him when you 'worked out the details'. What details?" asked Cadance.

"Cadance," said her uncle in a threatening tone. Cadance sighed. Dumbledore decided to change the subject. "What is new with you, dear?" he asked.

"Hardly anything," answered Cadance. "Cati and I made a rather large rubber band ball the other day at work, but Bob Reynolds made us take it apart. That's about it through."

"Oh really?" asked Dumbledore. "Then what is this I hear about a young gentleman escorting you around as of late?"

Cadance sighed. "Who told you?" she asked.

"Oh, I have my sources," said Dumbledore with a chuckle.

"I wasn't trying to hide it from you or anything," said Cadance, feeling as though she had better explain. "I just wasn't sure if it was worth mentioning yet. We've only been seeing each other for about three months, and it's really casual."

"Are you happy?" asked Dumbledore.

Cadance was taken aback; that wasn't what she had been expecting. "In general I am, yes," she answered. She paused and he looked her in the eyes for a second. "Oh, you mean with him? I'm not sure yet."

"Tell me about this young man," said Dumbledore.

"His name is Owen Barre," answered Cadance. "He didn't go to Hogwarts; he went to a private school in London. He works for the _Daily Prophet_. He's not a journalist; he works with business aspects."

"And what does Cati think of Owen?" asked Dumbledore.

Cadance paused again. "You _know_ what Cati thinks of him," she answered coyly. "_She_ was the one who told you about him."

Dumbledore chuckled. "Actually, I heard from Professor McGonagall who heard from Professor Snape who heard from Cati. She mentioned it in her last letter. See, you shouldn't jump to conclusions."

"Oh," said Cadance. "To be honest, Cati hasn't really spent much time with him. It's not as though I'm bringing her on dates with me. And besides, she's been a bit busy herself. You can tell Professor McGonagall to tell Professor Snape that things are getting pretty serious between Cati and Matt the Bartender."

"I'll make sure it gets back to him," responded Dumbledore. "So how did you meet this Owen?"

"Oh, he came into the bar about three months ago," answered Cadance. "Cati and I were breaking up a bar fight and he stepped in to help out. He started coming in regularly so we saw him a lot even after we quit our jobs at Tipsy's because we started at the Auroring Department."

"What does Charlie think of him?" asked Dumbledore.

"Oh he…" began Cadance. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"You two have always been close," responded Dumbledore. "I was just curious as to what his reaction was. He is rather protective of you; maybe more so than Cati."

"Charlie doesn't like him much," said Cadance. "I don't really know why. We haven't really talked about it, but he and Bill tend to make fun of Owen a lot behind his back; more so than they do with Matt. I think that means they like him less."

Suddenly there came a knock at the door. "That will be Cati," said Dumbledore, gesturing for Cadance to open it. Sure enough, Cati came bounding in.

"Hello, Professor Dumbledore," she said brightly.

"Hello, Catalin," said Dumbledore.

Cati sat down in one of the seats in front of the desk. Cadance sat back down as well. "I thought we were going to meet back up later," said Cadance.

"Oh, we were," said Cati. "However, I tried my uncle's patience, and I thought it would be a good idea to leave."

"Did you blow something up?" asked Cadance.

"Mmmmm hmmm," answered Cati. "And accidentally set fire to the desk."

"So what are you two going to do after this?" asked Dumbledore.

"We have ot file a report at the Ministry, then we'll probably just go home," said Cati.

"Actually, we should get going," said Cadance. "I can hear Bob Reynolds's rebukes now. _How long does it take to escort one person to Hogwarts!_"

"That was an awful Bob Reynolds impression," said Cati as she got to her feet. Dumbledore and Cadance stood as well. "For one, Bob Reynolds doesn't sound like a squeaky girl. Goodbye, Professor Dumbledore!"

"Goodbye, Catalin," said Dumbledore. He turned to say goodbye to his niece. She pecked him on the cheek.

"I'll see you as soon as the term lets out, Uncle Albus," she said.

"Goodbye, dear," he said before Cadance and Cati left with a wave. They discussed what sorts of random things they could add to their report to annoy Bob Reynolds as they walked down the spiral staircase and down the hallway.

"And how about if we said that a drunk man in the Three Broomsticks nearly _spilled his beer_ on Professor Quirrell but we jumped in front of him?" asked Cati as they were passing the library.

"We better make sure we add that we'll be billing the Department for the cleaning bill," answered Cadance. Suddenly they heard a series of bumps and clangs and then mischievous cackling from somewhere in one of the corridors in the direction they were heading. They both stopped and looked at each other.

"That'll be Peeves," said Cati.

"C'mon," said Cadance, starting off down another corridor. "We'll go the back way." They began walking down a deserted hallway full of little-used classrooms. They were just walking past a suit of armor when Cadance stopped. Cati turned back to her and said, "What?"

Cadance pointed at a door across from it. "That door isn't closed," she said. Cati looked at it. It was barely ajar.

Cati looked at Cadance and then back to the door. She walked up to it and closed it. "Better?" she asked.

"Every other door in this hallway is closed and locked," said Cadance, as she opened the door and went in without hesitation. Cati followed her. The room was a little dark.

"What's that?" asked Cati, pointing at the wall. There was something just in front of it, covered by a tarp. They both walked up to it and gave it a tug. They let the tarp fall to the ground as the looked at what was behind it. They found themselves looking in a mirror. It was nearly as high of the ceiling and was in a gold frame. Along the top, there was an inscription that read: _Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi_.

"Cati," breathed Cadance. "Do you know what this is?"

"Yeah," said Cati. "What do you see?"

"I see me and you and Bill and Charlie and Drew and Kala and we're all playing mini-golf," said Cadance.

"Really?" asked Cati. "I see French Fries."

"Well, we _did_ skip lunch," said Cadance.

"I thought you girls were going back to the Ministry to file a report," said a voice from the doorway. They turned and saw Dumbledore and McGonagall standing there.

"Peeves," said Cati by way of explanation and pointing in the direction from which they had heard him.

"What is this doing here?" asked Cadance, pointing at the mirror.

"Come on," said Dumbledore, stepping aside and gesturing to Cadance and Cati to leave the room. They did. Dumbledore and McGonagall stepped out behind them, and then Dumbledore took out his wand and locked the door.

"Well?" asked Cadance, staring expectantly at her uncle.

"Well what?" asked Dumbledore, as he began walking down the hallway, with McGonagall, Cadance, and Cati at his heels.

"What is the Mirror of Erised doing in Hogwarts?" asked Cadance. "Where did you get it? _How_ did you get it?"

"Minerva, we had better walk Cadance and Catalin to the Entrance Hall," said Dumbledore. "We wouldn't want them making any more detours on the way out." He glanced back at them with a smile playing across his face.

Cadance narrowed her eyes, apparently not finding anything as amusing as he apparently did. "This has something do with why Nicholas Flamel was here!" she exclaimed. "Is the Mirror involved in the 'details' Flamel mentioned?"

"Did it ever occur to you that being overly inquisitive and nosy isn't very becoming?" asked Dumbledore.

"Did it ever occur to _you _that I wouldn't have to be overly inquisitive_ or_ nosy if you would just tell me whatever it is that you're hiding from me?" countered Cadance.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe it's not your business?"

"Did it ever occur to you that I don't _care_?"

"Did it ever occur to you that one shouldn't argue with her uncle, especially when said uncle was kind enough to request her for a mission which got her out of the office for a while," said Dumbledore pointedly.

"Did it ever occur to _you_ that I could play this game _all day_?" said Cadance matter-of-factly.

"That _had_ occurred to me," said Dumbledore. They had reached the Entrance Hall. Dumbledore nodded at the doors. "Give my best to Rosmerta."

Cadance and Cati tried to stare them down for a second, but failed miserably. They opened the doors and started walking down to Hogsmeade.

Dumbledore and McGonagall watched them walk until they reached the front gate and they could no longer see them anymore. "What are we going to do about this?" asked McGonagall after another moment or two of silence.

"Nothing," answered Dumbledore.

"They're going to pry," said McGonagall.

"I wouldn't expect anything less of them," said Dumbledore. "It'll give them something to do for the summer at least."

"And when summer ends?" asked McGonagall. "They'll keep coming around. _Harry Potter_ starts at Hogwarts come fall. Cadance will want to see him."

"I know," answered Dumbledore. He was still staring out the door after Cadance and Cati. He appeared to be pondering something.

"We can't let her, Albus," said McGonagall. "All the same reasons you tried to keep her from him before now _still_ apply. She'll tell him things; things he's not ready to hear. He's 11-years-old. She'll tell him about Sirius Black. She'll tell him about You-Know-Who and how he is the _heir_ of Godric Gryffindor."

"I know, Minerva," said Dumbledore, finally turning away from Hogsmeade. They stepped back inside and closed the doors behind them. "We'll have to keep her from here."

"How?" asked McGonagall.

"If I ask her, she'll listen," said Dumbledore. "Or at the very least, she'll _sneak_ in and not let Harry see her, which I suppose is better than nothing." He paused and there was a few more seconds of silence. "Mini-golf and French Fries."

"What?" asked McGonagall.

"Mini-golf and French Fries," repeated Dumbledore. "That's what they saw. They have lost nearly everything to Voldemort. They have been pursued by demons for most of their lives. They looked into the Mirror of Erised and saw _mini-golf_ and _French Fries_. They could have seen anything. They could have seen Death Eaters being tortured; punished for their crimes. They could have seen their families. Cadance could have seen _Jennifer_. But they didn't. They have truly accepted their lot in life and are perfectly happy with what they have."

"Except Cadance wishes they could play more mini-golf and Cati is a bit hungry," said McGonagall.

"They truly are exceptional girls," said Dumbledore slightly incredulously.

"I know," said McGonagall flatly. "That's why I worry."

* * *

"So what do you doing tonight?" asked Cati as she and Cadance arrived back at their flat. They had hurried out of the Department after filing their report just in case Bob Reynolds decided to read it right away.

"I don't know," answered Cadance. "Owen is supposed to stop by when he gets off work. What are you doing?"

"Matt's working at Tipsy's tonight," said Cati. "I told him I would stop by."

"I'm going to go change out of my Auroring uniform," said Cadance as she headed back to her room.

"Have at it," said Cati, plopping down on the couch and putting her feet up on the coffee table. She grabbed today's _Daily Prophet_ and began to read. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "It's open!" called Cati.

The door opened, and a man with shaggy black hair walked in. He was tall with an athletic build. His eyes were dull grey. "Hello, Cati," he said. "Where's Cadance?"

Cati glanced up. "She's changing her clothes, Owen. Have a seat," she said. "So what are you guys going to do tonight?"

"Probably going to get some dinner somewhere," said Owen. "You?"

"I'm going to the bar," she answered. She looked at her watch. "Actually, I think I'm going to go now. Kala will be there." She got up and walked down the hallway. She pounded on Cadance door.

"What!" exclaimed Cadance's voice from her room.

"Hurry your ass up! Your boyfriend is here!" Cati responded. "I'm going to Tipsy's!"

"Now!"

"Yeah!" called Cati through the door. "I'll see you later tonight."

"Bye!"

Cati slapped the door twice before walking back into the living room. She said goodbye to Owen and then turned on the spot, Apparating out. About a minute later, Cadance came out of her room wearing regular robes, as opposed to her Auroring ones. Owen stood up to greet her.

"Hey, babe," he said stooping to give her a kiss. "What would you like to do tonight?"

"Oh, I don't care," answered Cadance airily. "Nothing too exciting, though, I don't think I could pack too much more excitement into one day." Her voice was full of sarcasm as she said the last part.

"Right, I'll cancel that base-jumping lesson then," said Owen, as they both sat down on the couch. Cadance threw her legs across his lap and laid her head on his shoulder.

"I should certainly think so!" said Cadance. "I don't need _lessons_!"

"So I take it you had a boring day at work?" he asked.

"Well, Cati and I got to escort the new Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor to Hogwarts," answered Cadance. "So at least I got out of the office for a while and Cati and I got to see our uncles."

"That's good," answered Owen.

"How was work for you?" asked Cadance.

"Oh, you know how it is down there in the business department," said Owen. "Things get difficult when you mix the desire to sell newspapers with journalistic integrity. Then, of course, you've got to figure in _Rita Skeeter_…"

"The vast unpredictability has got be simply maddening," said Cadance, shaking her head sadly.

"You can't even imagine," he said with a sigh. "So, really, what do you want to do tonight? Do you want to go to dinner and then come back here for a little desert?" He winked at her.

Cadance laughed. "Alright," she said.

* * *

"Hi!" exclaimed Cati as she skipped into the bar.

Kala was ducked down behind the bar, putting stuff away, with her back to Cati. She straightened up and turned around at the sound of Cati's voice. "Bit early for you to start drinking, isn't it?" she asked.

"Nothing to do in the flat," answered Cati. "Cadance is going out with Owen. Matt in yet?"

"He's not on for another half-hour," said Kala.

"Great," said Cati. She reached into the pocket of her Auror robes, which she was still wearing, and pulled out a deck of cards. "Five Card Draw?"

"You're on."

* * *

"What are you thinking about?" asked Owen, reaching across the table and grabbing Cadance's hand. She was staring out the window as they waited for their food to arrive.

Cadance looked back at him and smiled. "Nothing," she answered. That was a lie. She _had_ been doing some thinking about Nicholas Flamel and the Mirror of Erised and the possible connection between them.

"Well, _I've_ been thinking," said Owen.

"About what?" asked Cadance.

"We've been seeing each other for close to three months now," said Owen. "And we haven't really talked about where this is going."

"Where _is_ it going?" asked Cadance.

"I'm not entirely sure," said Owen. "But I like it, wherever it is."

Cadance smiled. "Me too."

* * *

"Line 'em up, Kala!" exclaimed Charlie and he and Drew walked into Tipsy's Tavern at about 7:00 that evening. The bar had gotten more crowded, but Matt had arrived to tend to it.

"You heard them, Matt," said Kala, without taking her eyes off of her cards. She and Cati were still playing poker.

Charlie and Drew sat down at the bar next to Cati. "Did you come straight from work?" asked Drew, eyeing her Auror robes.

"Basically," answered Cati. "I stopped home for about five minutes. Where's Bill?"

"Working in the vaults all night," answered Charlie looking over Cati's shoulder at her cards. He pulled one out and placed it at a different spot in her hand and then tapped the card next to it. "Where's Cadance?"

"Out with Owen," answered Cati. She could feel Charlie stiffen beside her.

"You know," said Kala laying down her cards to reveal a full house. "If she keeps going out with Owen instead of coming here, I'm going to start thinking she likes him more."

"Oh, come off it," said Cati, smugly throwing down hers to reveal five aces. "It can't be that serious. She hasn't even introduced him to her uncle yet."

"You haven't introduced me to your uncle yet," pointed out Matt as he joined them and poured drinks for Charlie and Drew.

"Yes, but that's different," said Cati. "Cadance hasn't introduced Owen to _her_ uncle because that's too permanent for her. _I_ haven't introduced you to _my_ uncle for your own protection."

"It's true, you know," chimed in Drew. "He's real nice to me and Cati but he's one scary son of a bitch to everyone else."

Kala looked down at Cati's five aces and then rolled her eyes towards the ceiling. "Cati, next time, _think_ before you use the cards hidden up your sleeve," she said with a sigh.

"What?" asked Cati. She looked down too. "Damnit! Charlie distracted me!"

"I tried to point out that you had two of the same cards in your hands!" argued Charlie. Kala gathered the cards up and handed them to Cati, who pocketed them.

"So where were Cadance and Owen going?" asked Drew conversationally.

"I think dinner," said Cati. Charlie rolled his eyes.

"What was that?" asked Kala cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Nothing," said Charlie. Kala and Cati exchanged a look. "I just don't really like Owen."

"Well, why not?" asked Kala. "He's nice."

"He _seems_ nice, but do we really know?" asked Charlie. "And besides he just gives off this… vibe. I don't know how to explain it."

"Oh, you mean the I've-got-hidden-intentions vibe?" asked Drew nodding his head. "I get that from him, too."

"Exactly!" exclaimed Charlie, pointing at Drew. "See!"

"You two are nuts," said Kala. "Are you getting this so-called _vibe_ from him, Cati?"

"No," said Cati. "These two are just weird."

"_No_, we're _men_," said Drew. "Ask Matt."

Kala looked down to the other end of the bar to where Matt was serving two demons with their hoods up. Claw-like hands poked out from under long robes to grab their drinks. "Oi! Matt! Come down here a second!" she called.

"What's up?" he asked as he joined them.

"What do you think of Owen?" asked Kala.

"Cadance's Owen?" asked Matt. They all nodded. "He seems nice..."

"See," said Cati pointedly to Drew and Charlie.

"_But_," continued Matt. "There's just something that I can't put my finger on…"

"A vibe?" suggested Charlie.

"Yes! That's it!" exclaimed Matt. Cati and Kala heaved a sigh.

* * *

Arabella Figg laid in a bed in St. Mungo's Hospital looking at the ceiling and wondering why bad things happened to good people when suddenly the door opened and Minerva McGonagall walked in.

"Arabella, _what_ in heaven's name…" began McGonagall, before Arabella cut her off.

"Listen, Minerva, I was supposed to take the boy today," said Arabella hurriedly.

"Harry?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes," answered Arabella. "It's that piggish brat's birthday. _That's_ why I tripped. I transfigured the throw pillows from the couch into cats just like I do every year and _this year_ one of the cats got underfoot. I need you to call those blasted muggles and tell them that I can't take Harry today."

McGonagall sighed. "Alright," she said. "What should I say?"

"Just pretend to be from a muggle hospital and tell them I asked you to call and let them know that I was in the hospital with a broken foot and I won't be able to babysit today," answered Arabella. "I suppose they'll take Harry with them. I think they mentioned that they were going to the zoo this year."

"Well, it's not as if anything can happen, right?"

* * *

PLEASE REVIEW 


	7. Escaped Snake and Beach Fun

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize as belonging to someone else. Cadance is mine. Cati and Drew belong to Lady Potter. Pretty much everyone else belongs to J.K. Rowling!

A/N: Please please please review! If you review, I'll **give you a COOKIE** in the next chapter.

"Er… Dumbledore? Nuperson? Can you come here for a minute!" called Bob Reynolds's voice over the top of Cadance's cubicle, where Cadance and Cati were currently crouched down digging through one of the desk drawers. Reynolds's gruff voice sounded as though he had forced politeness into it; as though he wasn't used to being polite to his Aurors. Cadance and Cati looked at each other: he wanted something.

The pair of them looked up, while still staying crouched down. They couldn't see Reynolds, which meant that he wasn't standing next to the cubicle. "Does he know we're here?" whispered Cadance to Cati.

"Shhhh…" hissed Cati. "It's our day off…"

"Dumbledore! Nuperson!" Bob Reynolds's voice had lost the politeness now. It resumed its gruff sharpness that was exactly what you would expect from the Head of Aurors. "I know you're back there! I saw you come in!"

Cadance and Cati groaned and stood up. They both leaned forward on the wall of the cubicle. Bob Reynolds was standing in the doorway to his office, which was along the wall opposite, a few rows of cubicles away. Cadance and Cati were both wearing bathing suits under shorts and tank tops, not robes. They had sun glasses perched on top of their heads. "Yes, sir?" ventured Cati tentatively.

"I need the two of you for a quick mission," said Reynolds.

"Awwww, General, its Saturday! It's our day off," said Cadance with a hint of whining in her voice. "Can't somebody else do it?"

Reynolds looked left and right, and Cadance and Cati followed his gaze. The Department was practically empty. "Do you have plans or something?" asked Reynolds.

"Actually, yes," answered Cadance. "We're going to the beach."

"What are you doing in here then?" asked Reynolds.

Cadance and Cati paused, and then Cati held up a shovel and pail that they had fished out of one of Cadance's desk drawers. "We needed some stuff," she answered.

"What are you doing with a bucket in your cubicle?" he asked, border-line incredulous.

They paused again. "Sometimes we get bored," answered Cadance.

"Are you responsible for the sand in the coffee filters?" Reynolds asked, accusingly. "Never mind, I don't want to know. Just get in here." He disappeared into his office, leaving Cadance and Cati no choice but to follow. When they reached his office, he was already sitting behind his desk. "Sit down," he said gesturing to two chairs in front of his desk. "And put your sad little bucket aside. I want your full attention."

"What's the mission, sir?" asked Cati.

"We've detected magic at the London Zoo just a few minutes ago," said Reynolds. "We need someone to go in and poke around; make sure it wasn't anything big."

"Why? Can't you tell?" asked Cadance.

"The magic we detected was faint. It couldn't have been a qualified wizard," answered Bob. "But we can't detect what he or she did. Just go in and look around, and if it's necessary erase some memories."

Cadance sighed and looked at Cati. "If we go now we can get to the beach by one o'clock," she said.

"You're going to need to be undercover," said Reynolds. He glanced over their outfits. "You'll fit right in."

-------------------------------------------------------

"I can't believe that we're working on our day off," said Cati a little grumpily, as they made their way through the zoo, not noticing anything bizarre as of yet. "It was probably a little kid who doesn't know he's a wizard yet who _really_ wanted to see the monkeys do something interesting and inadvertently made them dance. The Ministry picked up on it, but because it wasn't _adult_ magic they didn't send an entire team in; just us."

"You're probably right, but we've got to check," said Cadance. They had reached an intersection of two paths and were about to keep going when suddenly a giant snake slithered along the path that intersected with theirs right in front of them.

Cati closed her eyes and swore under her breathe. "This way," said Cadance, pointing in the direction the snake had come from. The path led to the reptile house, which Cadance and Cati entered. There was a man in front of one of the snake displays saying, "I'm sorry, folks, I just don't know what happened to the glass! You're all going to have to leave the reptile house." Sure enough, the glass was gone from the snake cage. People were starting to file out of the building.

"I've got an idea," murmured Cadance to Cati before walking up to the man.

"I'm sorry, miss, but you're going to have to clear the area," he said.

"What happened here?" she asked, ignoring him.

"The glass… it just _vanished_," he said.

"You mean it broke?" asked Cadance, cocking her head at it.

"No, it's gone! It's just gone!" he exclaimed, turning to look at it. "Hey!" Cati saw Cadance tucking her wand back into her shorts very discreetly, and then she looked at where the glass should be. Only now, instead of it being gone, there were broken pieces sticking out of the frame, and shards of broken glass around their feet.

"It broke," said Cadance.

"But it wasn't broken before! It was _gone_!" he exclaimed.

"It broke," said Cadance pointedly, this time locking eyes with him as she said it. He nodded mindlessly. Cadance walked back to Cadance.

"Come on, they can collect their own snake," said Cati. "The beach is waiting!"

--------------------------------------------------------------

And indeed, the beach was waiting. Cadance and Cati met Owen and Matt and then Apparated to the beach for the rest of the afternoon. Being that it was late May, the beach wasn't that crowded. It was warm enough outside, but the water was chilly.

"Cati, you could add another tower…" began Matt, but one look from Cati shut him up.

Cadance and Cati were building a sandcastle. Matt and Owen were forbidden from touching it.

"We've got to make this wall stronger," said Cadance, adding some sand and patting it down well. "The tide will come in and knock this entire side of the castle down."

"Good idea," said Cati, helping her.

"So, girls," said Owen. "What took you so long in meeting us today?"

"We got tied up in the Auroring Department," answered Cati as they continued to build.

"With what?" asked Matt.

"A little mission," said Cati, wrinkling her nose as a wave rushed up and hit one of the walls, revealing a weak spot.

"Anything interesting?" asked Owen.

"Not really," answered Cadance. "Vanishing glass. Giant snake. We cleaned it up in a few minutes."

"And…" began Matt before Cati interrupted him again.

"Shush," she said. "We need to concentrate on this castle and _then_ we'll talk to you." Cadance nodded in agreement.

Matt looked at Owen. "Want to play with the Frisbee?"

"Yeah, sure," answered Owen. They got up and moved a few feet down the beach to throw the Frisbee back and forth.

"You just got snappish with Matt," commented Cadance.

"I can't build a sandcastle with him jabbering in my ear," responded Cati. "I don't see how you have room to talk. You're the one stringing Owen along."

"What?" asked Cadance, sitting back on her heels and looking at Cadance confusedly.

Cati looked around to make sure that Matt and Owen were occupied with their Frisbee and then turned back to Cadance. "You don't actually want to be in a relationship. _That's_ why you haven't introduced him to your uncle yet."

"_You_ haven't introduced Matt to _your_ uncle yet," said Cadance pointedly.

"_My_ uncle is sarcastic, irrational, and can have a wand pointed at Matt's throat and a spell fired before I even get out the words, 'Uncle Severus, this is…'," said Cati. "_Your_ uncle is polite, considerate, and would never draw his wand on a guest. Come on, Cadance, I know you too well. You won't introduce him, because that makes it _mean_ something and you're afraid of that. But you won't tell Owen that you're afraid of it, so you're just stringing him merrily along…"

"That's ridiculous," said Cadance.

"You know it's not," said Cati.

"Alright," said Cadance. "Tonight. After dinner. We bring Owen and Matt to Hogwarts. Deal?"

Before Cati could respond, the Frisbee came flying in between the two of them, knocking out half of the castle. Cadance and Cati both turned to look at the boys, who were shifting guiltily from one foot to the other. Owen, who was closer to the two of them, pointed at Matt. Matt pointed back. "Alright. I'll kill him before my uncle even gets a chance," muttered Cati. She clambered to her feet and started chasing after Matt.

Owen came over and helped Cadance to her feet. "You couldn't have caught that?" teased Cadance.

"Matt was aiming for Cati," answered Owen, putting his hands on her waist. She put her arms around his neck.

"Hey, I think Cati and I have a new plan for tonight," she said.

"What's that?" asked Owen.

"Do you want to go to Hogwarts after dinner?" asked Cadance. "I'd like to introduce you to my uncle." Owen didn't respond at first. "If you don't want to…"

"No, I do," answered Owen quickly. "I just… he's one of the most powerful wizards in the world."

Cadance laughed. "Don't worry," answered Cadance. "He'd never draw his wand on a guest."

"Alright, if it means that much to you," said Owen.

"It does," said Cadance, smiling.

Cadance and Owen snapped out of their own little world as Cati screamed. Their heads turned towards the sound of her voice in time to see Matt toss Cati into the water. "Oh yeah? Come in here and get me then," said Cati before diving into a wave and swimming a little farther out.

"Uh uh," said Matt shaking his head. "It's cold."

"You were mean enough to throw me in, so you better get your ass in here and get me," said Cati.

"Nope," said Matt.

"Fine then," said Cati. She took a deep breath then went underwater.

After a few seconds, Owen said, "Uhhh, how long can she hold her breath?" He and Cadance walked to the edge of the ocean and stood with Matt.

"I don't believe this," said Matt shaking his head.

"You better get in there," said Cadance.

"I _will not_," said Matt.

"Matt, she's really stubborn," said Cadance. "She did this to me once at the lake at Hogwarts. I didn't want to go in, so I didn't. After a while, Bill and Charlie finally dragged her out. We had to take her to the Hospital Wing."

Matt paused as he looked at her, then he ran into the ocean. He dove under water and began searching for Cati. Owen turned to Cadance and was shocked to see she was smirking. Suddenly, Cati walked up from behind them. She was smirking as well. Matt surfaced and she called out to him. Hey, babe!"

Matt looked at her. "How…?"

"Oh boy, that one never gets old!" exclaimed Cadance grinning.

"How…" repeated Matt.

"She _Apparated_, Matt," said Cadance pointedly.

"I'm so glad that trick worked this time!" said Cati brightly.

"I know, I was so disappointed when we couldn't' get drew to hop in the fountain at the mini-golf place," added Cati.

"I know! And then Bob Reynolds showed up because we were all over the Ministry's radar for using magic. Boy was he angry!" commented Cadance.

"All in all, not the most productive evening," said Cati.

"No, not really," responded Cadance.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Albus Dumbledore had just finished writing out replies to a few letters he got that morning when there came a knock on his office door. "Come in," he called, looking up. He smiled as the door opened a crack and Cadance poked her head in.

"Got a minute?" she asked, grinning back at him.

"For you, I've got a lifetime of minutes. Come in," he said, standing up. The door opened the rest of the way and Cadance came in, followed closely by Owen. Dumbledore's smile faltered a little, but he recovered. "And who is this?" he asked pleasantly.

"This is Owen Barre," said Cadance, indicating to Owen. He leaned forward and shook Dumbledore's hand.

"Why don't the two of you take a seat?" asked Dumbledore. Cadance and Owen sat down and then Dumbledore re-seated himself. "What brings you to the castle this evening?"

"I just wanted to say hi," said Cadance. "And introduce you to Owen. Oh, and Cati is downstairs visiting Professor Snape… with Matt."

"Hmmm…" said Dumbledore pensively.

"Oh, no, it's okay!" said Cadance. "We were at the beach before this and she found a dried starfish and she's going to give it to Professor Snape before she introduces him to Matt. It'll pacify him."

"You really think so?" asked Dumbledore, his eyebrows raised slightly.

"Oh, that reminds me!" exclaimed Cadance, reaching into her robe pockets. She pulled out a large seashell and put it on his desk. "I found this for you!"

"Well, thank you very much," said Dumbledore earnestly. "Oh, did you hear about Arabella?"

"Hear what?" asked Cadance, concern ebbing into her voice.

"She tripped over a cat and broke her leg this morning," said Dumbledore.

"Oh no!" said Cadance. "Is she okay?"

"She's fine. But some muggle neighbors saw it, so she has to wear a cast instead of healing it up by magic, or they'd be suspicious," said Dumbledore.

"I'll stop by and see her later," said Cadance. Suddenly her face brightened as though struck by a sudden thought. "Oh! She can have my other sea shell! That will make her feel better."

"I'm sure it will," said Dumbledore. "So, did you two have fun at the beach today?"

"Yes! Well, first Cati and I got sent on a little mission when we went into work because we had to get our bucket…"

"Naturally," interrupted Dumbledore.

"But we got that taken care of early enough to enjoy a full afternoon at the beach."

"_With_ your bucket," said Dumbledore.

"Naturally!" chirped Cadance.

"So, Owen," began Dumbledore, leaning forward and pressing his fingertips together. "Tell me about yourself."

"Oh," said Owen, caught a little off-guard. "Well, I work at the Daily Prophet; Business Department. I went to a private school in London. I don't know what else to tell you."

"Which private school?" asked Dumbledore.

"Oh," said Owen. "Eastbridge."

"Ah. I know the Headmaster there well," said Dumbledore. Owen nodded. Dumbledore opened his mouth to ask another question when suddenly the door burst open and Cati stumbled in, panting, with Matt right behind her. He threw his weight up against the door, closing it, as Dumbledore got to his feet.

"We gotta go," said Cati hurriedly between breathes.

"Why?" asked Cadance, with confusion.

"Because the longest I've ever been able to keep my uncle frozen was three minutes and forty-seven seconds," said Cati pointedly.

Matt was panting heavily, his hands on his knees. He looked up. "Oh, hi, I'm Matt by the way," he said to Dumbledore. He straightened up and walked forward. He shook Dumbledore's hand.

"So, the starfish didn't go over well?" asked Dumbledore.

"He used it as a _weapon_!" shrieked Cati. Suddenly they heard a roar-like scream coming from below them. "Time to go." She pulled the door open and dashed down the stairs out of the office, with Matt at her heels.

"Bye, Uncle Albus!" said Cadance, leaning over the desk and giving Dumbledore a peck on the cheek, before she and Owen followed.

Dumbledore had just sat back down at his desk when there came a knock on the door. "Come in," he called. The door opened and McGonagall walked in.

"Severus is chasing Cati, Cadance, and two young men down the hallway," said McGonagall.

"Catalin just introduced one of the young men to him as her boyfriend," explained Dumbledore. "They really thought the starfish would help."

"Ah," said McGonagall. "And the other young man?"

"That one belongs to Cadance," said Dumbledore.

McGonagall paused. "What do you think?" she asked.

"There are two things I know for sure," said Dumbledore. "I don't trust anyone who won't look me in the eyes and Eastbridge School has a Head_mistress_."

A/N: The end! Remember: I'm giving out **cookies** in the next chapter to everyone who reviews!


	8. In Which They're Not Having A Good Day

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's.**

**A/N: Only one cookie to give out in this chapter. According to my hit counter, tons of people have read! But only one person reviewed. What is up with that? Special Holiday cookies to Whitelighter Enchantress!!!!!!!!!**

* * *

"Arabella!" exclaimed Cadance exuberantly as she rolled out of the fireplace into Arabella Figg's living room.

"Sweet Merlin, give me strength," mumbled Arabella under her breathe from where she sat on her couch with her injured foot up on the coffee table.

"I'm going to pretend like I didn't hear that," said Cadance as she got to her feet and brushed the soot off of her.

"What are you doing here, dear?" Arabella asked, smiling at her godchild.

"I just came from Hogwarts. My uncle told me you broke your leg!" exclaimed Cadance. "Have to heal it up the muggle way?"

"Well, the people at St. Mungo's fixed it up so it wouldn't hurt, but they put a cast on it so that the muggles would be fooled," said Arabella.

"Tripped over a cat, huh?" asked Cadance. "How'd you manage that one?"

"Oh, don't worry about it," said Arabella, waving her hand dismissively. Well, she couldn't very well tell her that she tripped over her pillow that she transfigured into a cat because Harry Potter was coming over to be babysat. "So what were you doing at Hogwarts today?"

"I wasn't there all day. I went on a mission first, which by the way was _riveting_. That was sarcasm, by the way, in case you missed it. Then, we went to the beach and _then_ we went to Hogwarts," answered Cadance. "Oh, that reminds me! I brought you a seashell!" She rummaged around in her bag and pulled out a shell and handed it to Arabella.

"Well, thank you, dear, it's lovely," she said. "Who did you go to the beach with?"

"Me and Cati went with our…" she trailed off. "Boyfriends."

"Really?" asked Arabella cocking an eyebrow. "Interesting. I see now. You went to the beach and then you brought them back to Hogwarts to meet your uncles."

"Yeah," said Cadance.

"How did that go?" asked Arabella.

"Well, it went alright for me, but Professor Snape _did not_ take kindly to Matt," said Cadance. "We high-tailed it out of there real fast."

Just then, they were interrupted as another visitor arrived through the fireplace. Minerva McGonagall exited the grate much more gracefully than Cadance had. "Arabella, you'll never guess what just happened," she said as she straightened up. Then she noticed Cadance. "Oh."

"I take it you got Snape to calm down," commented Cadance.

"Yes. How's Matt's tail?" asked McGonagall.

"Oh, we cleared that right up as soon as we got home," said Cadance dismissively.

"Great. Now leave so that we can talk about you," said McGonagall, jerking her head towards the fireplace.

"I _knew_ you were a gossip!" exclaimed Cadance, pointing her finger at McGonagall.

"Quicker, please," said McGonagall. "And don't hang about the grate, trying to eavesdrop."

"Damnit, you know me too well," hissed Cadance. She waved goodbye and slid into the fireplace.

"What's going on, Minerva?" asked Arabella, who had been looking confused since the mention of a tail.

"Cadance and Cati brought their boyfriends into Hogwarts and introduced them to Severus and Albus," said McGonagall, taking a seat.

"So Cadance mentioned," said Arabella. "How are the boyfriends?"

"Well, I didn't actually get to meet them, but I did catch a glimpse as they were running from Severus," said McGonagall. "Severus is not taking the fact that Cati is dating very well."

"I figured that when you mentioned the tail," said Arabella.

"It was quite a bizarre curse," said McGonagall nodding.

"What did Albus think about Cadance's boyfriend? She said it went alright for her," said Arabella.

"His name is Owen and Albus doesn't trust him," said McGonagall. "Owen says he went to Eastbridge School of Magic and Albus mentioned their Headmaster…"

"Eastbridge has a Head_mistress_," interrupted Arabella.

"Apparently that's the point," said McGonagall. "Owen never corrected Albus, which makes Albus think that he's lying."

"Yes, but honestly, put yourself in his position. Would _you_ correct Albus Dumbledore?" said Arabella pointedly.

"Arabella, if I _ever_ had the chance to correct Albus Dumbledore I would take it up without hesitation and relish it for the rest of my life," answered McGonagall. "Albus also says that he didn't look him in the eyes."

"Seems a bit of a washy argument against the kid," said Arabella.

"I know," said McGonagall. "That's what I told Albus. He concedes that he might be reading too much into the situation. Anyway, it could be worse. Had Albus decided to curse Owen, then Cadance and Cati would have had a lot more to deal with than just a tail."

* * *

When Cadance arrived back at her and Cati's flat, Owen, Cati, and Matt were sitting in the living room talking.

"_Really_, Matt, I swear he's not such a bad fellow!" Cati was arguing.

"Oh, yeah, he's a real peach," said Matt sarcastically. "Tell that to my ass, Catalin! I think it objected to having a tail attached to it!"

"Now you're overreacting just a bit," said Cati. "It came right off!"

"Oh okay," said Matt. "You're right. That makes it better."

"You just need to give him a second chance," said Cati.

"_I_ need to give _him_ a second chance?!" exclaimed Matt incredulously. "Excuse me, but I believe _he_ is the one drawing his _wand_ in this situation!"

"He's just a little bit overprotective," argued Cati. "He means well."

"Well, you guys have a good night," said Owen, standing up and slipping an arm around Cadance's waist. "I think we're going to go back to my place for the night. Right, babe?" She nodded, and they turned to head towards the door.

"Good night, Cati, I'll see you in the morning," said Cadance. "Good luck, Matt." They left via the front door, leaving Matt and Cati alone.

"Honestly, Catalin Marie," began Matt before Cati interrupted him.

"Hey, what are you middle-naming me for?!" she exclaimed. "It's not _my fault_ you ended up with a tail!"

"Are you implying that it's _my fault_?" asked Matt. "I didn't even get a word in edge-wise before he chased me out of the office!"

"That's not true…"

"Oh really?" asked Matt. "Let's review… _Hi, Uncle Severus! This is my boyfriend, Matt…_ BANG! That man is crazy!"

"He's not crazy!" exclaimed Cati. "He's just... well, he's my uncle! He feels like he has to _protect_ me."

"Why's that?" asked Matt.

"Well, he raised me, didn't he?!" argued Cati. "He's also probably overcompensating for the fact that, you know, when he was a Death Eater the Dark Lord wanted him to kill me." Matt's jaw dropped, and he stared at her for a few seconds. Cati paused. "I haven't told you my uncle was a Death Eater yet, have I?" she continued.

"No!" exclaimed Matt. "And you would think that would be something you would _mention_ before taking me to meet him! Honestly, a little heads-up would have been nice! Just, like, _Hey, just so you know, my uncle's a Death Eater. Watch out!_"

"Matt, he's not a Death Eater _now_!" said Cati exasperatedly. "He turned spy for us before Voldemort fell. After my parents were killed, my uncle knew Voldemort would be coming after me and Drew next and he went to Dumbledore because he wanted to make sure that Drew and I would be protected. Dumbledore hid me and Drew when Uncle Severus told him that Voldemort ordered him to kill us. So really, this whole overprotective thing is just a force of habit."

"So let me get this straight. Your mom and dad died, you were raised by your uncle, who once was a Death Eater, and you were once on Voldemort's radar?" asked Matt. Cati nodded. "Starting to get a little bit of insight as to why you are the way you are, Cate."

"Now can you give him another chance, please?" asked Cati.

"Are you kidding me?!" exclaimed Matt. "The man was able to _fool the Dark Lord_! There's no telling what he's capable of!"

"Alright, I won't push to meet him again until _you_ are ready," conceded Cati. "_And_ I'll talk to him. I'll let him know that I don't appreciate him trying to frighten off my boyfriend who I care about a lot."

"Thank you," said Matt, kissing her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," said Cati.

* * *

"So what did you think of my uncle?" asked Cadance, as she and Owen were lying in bed. She had her head resting on his chest, and he had one hand on top of her head.

"He seemed nice," said Owen. "However, his only competition for the evening was Cati's uncle so…"

"Maybe we can go out there for dinner or something," suggested Cadance.

"Maybe," said Owen. "But I don't think we should bring Matt. I don't think I'm up for another high-speed chase so soon." Cadance's hand moved a little and it brushed against a chain around Owen's neck. She rolled over, and Owen's hand slid from her head to the small of her back.

"What's this?" asked Cadance, fingering the pendant at the end of the chain. It was three interlocking, inverted triangles with an eye in the center.

"Oh, nothing. I usually take it off at night," said Owen, lifting his neck and slipping the chain off. He put it on his bedside table. Cadance rested her chin on his chest.

"Looks familiar," said Cadance. "I think I've seen that symbol before."

"Duh. On me, silly," said Owen.

"Oh," said Cadance, rolling back over.

"Ready for bed?" asked Owen.

"Yup," said Cadance. "Good night."

"Night, babe," said Owen.

* * *

"And you're certain he didn't receive any of the letters?" asked Dumbledore. He was seated behind his desk. His Deputy Headmistress was sitting in front of him.

"According to what I would consider a very reliable source," said McGonagall.

"One of Arabella's throw pillows?" asked Dumbledore.

"Well, she transfigured it into a cat," said McGonagall. "Trust me. Harry Potter has no idea he's a wizard."

"I suppose we'll have to send some more letters," said Dumbledore.

"Well, that's the thing, Albus," said McGonagall. "First they boarded up the mail slot, so they had to be shoved underneath and in the sides. Now that muggle has got the whole door boarded up. I think it would be much easier to just send someone to personally deliver the letter."

Dumbledore pressed his fingertips together and looked pensive. It was during this silence that the door opened and Cadance's head poked in. "Hi!" she chirped.

"Come in, dear," said Dumbledore. Cadance pushed the door open the rest of the way and came in. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your company?"

"To Bob Reynolds, who dismissed Cati and I early for the day," said Cadance. "As it turns out, screaming out how many minutes there are until the end of the work day every couple of minutes on a Friday is not conducive to a good working environment. When we were sent home, the work environment picked up dramatically."

"Well, I'm going to get back to work," said McGonagall. "Albus, we need to finish discussing our problem later."

"No need, Minerva," said Dumbledore. "Bring me up 2 dozen eggs from the kitchen at your earliest convenience. If _this_ doesn't work, you have my permission to send as many letters as you can down his chimney." McGonagall nodded as she left the office.

"Having some difficulties with the mail?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow.

Dumbledore waved his hand dismissively. "What's going on?" he asked. "There's something on your mind. I can tell."

"Same for you," said Cadance turning her head a bit and peering at him intently.

"I run a school. There's always something on my mind," said Dumbledore. "Don't change the subject."

"Cati and I are probably leaving for a mission next week," said Cadance.

"Oh?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes. We're going to be doing some undercover work and we probably won't be around for about a week," said Cadance. "Last week, during a bust, Cati and I proved that we can be quite useful in disguise and now Reynolds is thinking that they can use us to break up this demon ring that they've had their eyes on for a while."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine," said Dumbledore.

"I'm not worried," said Cadance. "I just wanted to let you know. I told Bradley Patterson that if anything happens concerning Jen while I'm gone, I want to be notified immediately, no matter where I am or what I'm doing."

"Of course," said Dumbledore.

"Now what's on _your_ mind?" asked Cadance. "Maybe I can help."

"No, it's nothing," said Dumbledore, waving his hand to dismiss it again.

"Alright," said Cadance. She stood up and he stood as well. "Well, I'm going to get back to Cati. I'll see you later."

"Good bye, dear," said Dumbledore, leaning over the desk to give her a peck on the cheek.

"Bye!"

She had just crossed the threshold when Dumbledore called her back. "And Cadance!" Her head appeared back in the doorway. "Be careful. Not just with this mission. Just… be careful."

That was Friday. Late Monday night, Dumbledore sent Rubeus Hagrid to Harry Potter's aide and on Tuesday— Harry's birthday— Hagrid returned to Dumbledore bringing news of Harry and a small, lumpy package. Mere hours after Hagrid's return, Dumbledore heard from the head goblin of Gringotts Wizarding Bank; vault seven hundred and thirteen had be broken into.

* * *

Missions were _way_ more fun than being stuck at the office. Or so Cadance and Cati decided.

The following Friday, Cadance and Cati packed a bag and met two other, more experienced Aurors in the department to be dispatched to a place of a suspected threatening demon ring. Their job was to get in and get information and, if possible, 'eliminate the threat'. The phrase was left open to interpretation. If necessary, they were permitted to vanquish the demons.

By Sunday afternoon, the demons had all either been brought in to be stripped of their powers, or vanquished on site. The mission that was supposed to have lasted a week only took Cadance and Cati two days. And it was the most fun they'd ever had while on duty.

Despite the fact that it was now Monday morning and they were being yelled at by Bob Reynolds for having ignored protocol.

"Never have I had two Aurors display such reckless zeal for their jobs," said Reynolds.

"Thank you!" said Cati brightly.

"That wasn't a compliment," snapped Reynolds. He was pacing the floor in front of them as they stood next to each other trying to look appropriately sorry, despite the fact that they weren't.

"Now, really, General, I think you're overreacting just a little bit…" said Cati.

"Oh, am I?" exclaimed Bob piercing them with a cold stare. "Am I? The _shoot out_, for lack of a better term, which the pair of you started yesterday, caused such a ruckus that muggle neighbors called the police! Do you know how many memories needed to be erased? Do you know how many _hours_ it's going to take?! Do you know how many people you could have gotten _killed_ if they had wandered into the crossfire!?"

"Exactly!" exclaimed Cadance. "We had to protect the muggles in the vicinity. We made a judgment call and decided to 'eliminate the threat' as we saw fit."

"Perhaps it's my own fault for not properly explaining the steps we usually take in a mission like this one," said Reynolds. "First we take several days of surveillance both from infiltration from the inside of the demonic organization and from outside observations. We _report back_ everything as we observe it and then once your superiors, namely me, determine whether or not there is a threat, we grant you permission to take steps to neutralize the threat accordingly."

"No, the steps were laid out quite clear to us," said Cati with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

"It only took us a day to figure out that these demons were threatening!" exclaimed Cadance. "They're _demons_ for Merlin's sake! We got in on Friday evening and by Saturday evening we were sure they would _kill_ if we didn't stop them."

"But you didn't report back…"

"There's not _need_ to report back! What did you want us to do? Spend all evening filling out the forms and then _wait_ for permission to vanquish the demons?!" exclaimed Cati. "We're _Sorceresses_, General. You may _employ_ us as Aurors to vanquish these demons, but it is our _duty_ as Sorceresses to do so. And we'll continue to do so with or without the Ministry giving us permission."

"You, Miss Nuperson, are flirting with insubordination because of that mouth," said Reynolds, narrowing his eyes. "And as it stands, the two of you will be facing an inquiry because of your failure to follow protocol."

"Come on, General!" exclaimed Cadance.

"You fired into a crowd of demons without orders to do so. You didn't even identify yourselves as Aurors first, nor did you show your Auror license," said Reynolds.

"It was the heat of the moment, General!" exclaimed Cadance. "And those demons knew very well who we were the minute we stepped in. No identification was needed on our part."

"You vanquished demons on the run!" exclaimed Reynolds.

"And by doing so we saved future victims of those demons!" exclaimed Cadance. "These aren't goblins ore elves, General, who try to work with Wizards and are therefore granted the same rights as Wizards."

"Watch your tone of voice with me," said Reynolds. "The two of you are suspended pending an investigation."

"Fine then," said Cadance, pulling out her Auror license and throwing it on the desk. Cati did the same. They both turned on their heels and marched out.

Bob Reynolds was about to call after them when he looked down at their licenses. He rolled his eyes. Both girls were in each picture. "You two hopped into each other's license pictures?!" he exclaimed. No response. They had already gone. "CADANCE! CATALIN!" No response again. He heaved a sigh and then circled around to the other side of his desk and sank into his chair and put his face in his hands. "What am I going to do with those two?" he asked to no one in particular.

"Well, sir, personally I think you should promote them," said a voice from the doorway.

Reynolds looked up and saw Sergeant Major James Beaver standing in the doorway. Beaver had been on the same mission as Cadance and Cati. "Can I help you, Sergeant Major?" asked Reynolds.

"No, sir," said Beaver, stepping into the office. "I was just looking for the girls."

"Why?" asked Reynolds.

"Well, General, I rather wanted to shake their hands," answered Beaver. "That was the quickest mission I'd ever been on. From a financial perspective, the two of them just saved the Ministry thousands of galleons in overtime that they would have had to pay us for being on that mission. And I'd never been on a mission where I was outnumbered by demons that didn't end with someone on our side getting injured. We're all back in one piece, sir."

"They _are_ good at what they do," conceded Reynolds.

"That is no excuse for breaking our rules, General," came a voice from behind Beaver. Cornelius Fudge was now standing in Bob Reynolds's doorway.

"Minister," said Reynolds, tensing a bit. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"As a matter of fact there is," answered Fudge. "You can fetch me Private Dumbledore and Private Nuperson. I'll be conducting the official inquiry."

"Excuse me, Minister, but I haven't filed the report yet, nor have I made official indication that there _will_ be an inquiry," said Reynolds. "And Internal Affairs handles official inquiries usually."

"I decided that given the circumstances, I would speed up the process and make the inquiry myself," responded Fudge.

"What circumstances would those be, Minister?" asked Beaver.

"The fact that the incident occurred in such close proximity to muggles, for one," said Fudge. "And the fact that the two Aurors whose actions are in question happen to have a history of disobeying authority."

"Well, sir, before I request the official inquiry, I have to write up my report, Minister, so if you would just…" began Reynolds.

"No, General, I don't think you quite understand me," said Fudge. "The report is unnecessary. I _will_ be performing this inquiry and I will be doing it now. Please go and fetch the girls."

"They're not here, Minister," said Reynolds.

"Not here?" asked Fudge, raising his eyebrows.

"I've suspended them," said Reynolds. "They're gone."

"They just up and left?" asked Fudge.

"Yes, sir," responded Reynolds.

"We'll see about that then," said Fudge. "I'll send some people out to bring them in. They can't be hard to find. We'll get this inquiry well on its way before lunchtime." He turned on his heel and marched out.

Reynolds ran a hand through his hair and muttered something under his breath. "What are we going to do, General?" asked Beaver.

Reynolds settled back in his seat and ran his hand through his hair again. He looked pensive for a few moments. It was clear that while Reynolds was angry at Cadance and Cati, he had no intentions of putting them through an inquiry as tough as Fudge clearly intended. After what seemed like an eternity, Reynolds spoke. "The fact that the report hasn't been filed yet could work to our advantage," he said. "Come with me."

* * *

Cadance and Cati had left work and walked around London for a bit, for lack of anything better to do. Around 11:00, they headed to Tipsy's Tavern to see Kala. They walked in the door and they spotted her immediately, as the bar was nearly empty since it was so early. "Hey, what the hell did you two do?" asked Kala as soon as they walked in.

"What?" asked Cadance with a confused look.

"There are _four Aurors_ in my back room looking for you," she hissed, trying to keep her voice low. "I told them you weren't here, but they insisted on looking around anyway."

"We're facing an inquiry at work," said Cati. "But there's no way Bob Reynolds got the report reviewed yet!"

"Shhh!" hissed Kala. "What are you going to do?"

Cati was about to respond when the Aurors emerged from the back room. There was a pause as the four Aurors processed the fact that Cadance and Cati were standing in front of them.

"Did they see us?" asked Cati to Cadance out of the corner of her mouth.

The Auror in front pulled out his license. "Miss Dumbledore. Miss Nuperson. We are here to escort you to the Ministry," he said.

"Never mind," muttered Cati.

Cadance and Cati started backing up and Cati's hand inched towards her wand. "On what grounds?" asked Cadance.

"We are here to escort you to the Ministry," he repeated.

"On whose orders?" asked Cati.

"The Minister of Magic," he answered.

Cadance and Cati glanced at each other. The Minister of Magic. This couldn't be good. Silently and consciously, the same idea formed in both of their heads. Cati gave a small nod.

"Well, Gentlemen, I'm afraid the two of us already have plans for the afternoon," said Cati.

"Maybe we can schedule you in some time next week," suggested Cadance.

"Our orders are to bring you in immediately," said the Auror.

"Then I'm sorry," said Cadance.

"For what?"

Suddenly there was a flash of light and a puff of smoke. It took several seconds for the smoke to clear, and as it did the Aurors and Kala were coughing and sputtering and trying to clear the smoke from their faces with their hands. When it finally cleared, Cadance and Cati were gone.

"They Apparated," said one Auror.

"No, they didn't," said the Auror who had taken charge. "You can't Apparate in this building. Look around."

Meanwhile, Cadance and Cati were crouched behind the bar. Kala was shifting around suspiciously. Cati slapped the back of her leg and shook her head vigorously. Then she pointed in the general direction of her left. Kala grabbed a tray of drinks and walked out from behind the bar. Cadance rolled her eyes, and she and Cati began to crawl along the bottom of the bar. Suddenly…

"Hello, girls," said a voice somewhere overhead. They looked up into the face of one of the Aurors. Before they could respond, four hands dragged them to their feet and started pushing them towards the door.

"Where are you taking them?" asked Kala, putting the drinks down. They didn't respond. "Hello! I'm talking to you!" Still no response. She whipped out her wand and pointed it at the door. It glowed for a second and then they heard the lock click.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but you're interfering with a Ministry investigation," said one Auror.

"Kala, let it go," said Cati shaking her head.

"We'll be fine," added Cadance. Kala lowered her wand. They heard another click and the door swung open. The Aurors ushered Cadance and Cati out in front of them.

Fine, perhaps, was not the right word to describe the situation. Cadance and Cati were first taken to the Ministry, where they waited in chairs outside of Fudge's office, while the Auror who was in charge went in to talk to Fudge. After about two minutes, he came back out. "Alright, the Minister isn't ready for them yet. We're supposed to hold them until he is."

"Where?" asked another Auror.

"The short-term holding cells," he answered.

"What?!" exclaimed Cadance, hopping up. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"Azkaban!?" exclaimed Cati. "This is ridiculous! We are _Aurors_ for Merlin's sake!"

"I'm sorry, but it's not my call. Let's go."

* * *

Cadance and Cati and their Auror escorts were greeted by a wizened wizard at the front-desk of Azkaban. Their wands were confiscated and tagged to be returned as soon as they were released. It was a long, cold, frightening walk through Azkaban as Cadance and Cati were led to the short-term holding cells. Dementors floated about, sucking the warmth and happiness from the air… not that there was much to begin with. Finally, they reached a door at the end of a corridor. They were ushered through the door. On the other side was a room with four cells in it. "You'll wait here," said the Auror, unlocking one and swinging it open. They walked dejectedly inside.

"This is absolutely ridiculous," said Cadance, as the Auror locked the cell back up. "We're not even being charged with anything! And even if our actions _were_ under review, the worst we'd get would be dismissal from the squad! We wouldn't end up in Azkaban for it! You can't hold us here!"

"When we attempted to question you, you attempted to flee," responded the Auror. "The Minister feels it's in the Ministry's best interest to keep you from trying to flee again."

"Well, I feel it's in the Minister's best interest to…" began Cati, before Cadance clamped a hand over her mouth.

"Do you want to make this worse?" she hissed in her ear. Cati shook her head, and Cadance removed her hand from her mouth.

"Listen to your friend," advised the Auror. "And keep it down. You don't want to anger the Dementors, or they'll come in here to supervise you." He left the room. There was silence for a few seconds.

"This is bullshit," said Cati. "This is all Fudge's doing. Bob Reynolds never would have gotten that report finished so fast. He would have talked to people, and heard everyone's stories."

"Who the hell are we kidding? Reynolds would have just yelled us until his ears bled…"

"Or _our_ ears bled," interjected Cati.

"…but he never would have taken action. Nobody was hurt. It was a good bust!"

"It was a good bust," repeated Cati.

There was a pause. Cadance was about to comment when the door opened. Cadance and Cati flew to the bars as Arthur Weasley walked in.

"Mr. Weasley?" asked Cati in confusion as soon as he walked through the door.

"Maybe this isn't about the demon bust," said Cadance, turning to Cati. "They sent Mr. Weasley, so maybe this is about those boots we enchanted."

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that, girls," said Mr. Weasley, shutting the door behind him. "I'm not here on official business."

"What are you doing here then?" asked Cati.

"I was worried about the two of you," said Mr. Weasley. "Are you okay?"

"We're fine," assured Cadance.

"How did you hear?" asked Cati.

"From your brother," answered Mr. Weasley. The door opened again and this time Dumbledore entered.

"Well, girls," he said, appraising them with twinkling blue eyes. "You tried to disappear right out from under the nose of some of Fudge's very own Aurors."

"It would have been so cool if it worked," answered Cati, breaking out into a grin. "See, look Cadance, Professor Dumbledore's not worried."

"No, General Reynolds has taken care of the situation," said Dumbledore.

"We don't have to talk to Fudge?" asked Cadance.

"No, you still have to talk to Fudge," said Dumbledore. "But don't worry. And don't respond to any of Cornelius's charges. Be vague in your answers. And you _must_ keep your tongues in check."

"Why are you looking at me when you say that?" asked Cati.

"Can you at least get us moved out of here? That crying is starting to drive me insane," said Cadance. There was a pause as Cati, Dumbledore, and Mr. Weasley all looked at her with a confused look on their faces. "What?"

"What crying, dear?" asked Dumbledore. For the first time since stepping into the room, his eyes were no longer smiling.

"The crying! You can't hear that?! It's getting louder and louder," said Cadance. She paused. "You can't hear it?" Another pause. "Nobody can hear it?"

"Hang in there," said Dumbledore, reaching through the bars and grabbing her hand. "I'll see what I can do." He let go and headed out the door, his robes swishing behind him.

Cadance looked from Mr. Weasley to Cati, as if hoping one of them would say they heard it, too. Instead, Cati looked Cadance up and down and said, "You're going nuts."

"It's Azkaban," said Mr. Weasley, by way of explanation as Cadance turned to him.

"I mean, _really nuts_," added Cati. "You're loony."

"Catalin, I don't think you're helping," said Mr. Weasley.

"I'm just being honest with you," said Cati, pulling a yo-yo out of her pocket. "And you're going crazy. Hey, look! I can do walk-the-dog!" She started chuckling as the yo-yo slid along the floor.

"Mr. Weasley, you don't have to stay with us," said Cadance, ignoring Cati. "We understand if you want to get the hell out of Azkaban. We certainly would if we were in your position."

"No chance I'm leaving you here by yourselves," said Mr. Weasley. Cadance smiled appreciatively at him. "Now tell me what exactly happened."

"There was a band of demons meeting in an abandoned house out in Mulberry," said Cadance. "The Ministry needed us to go in there, see if they were a threat, and then eliminate said threat as we saw fit. Unfortunately, the way that we saw fit sort of curved from the line that is Ministry protocol."

"Namely?"

"We vanquished them after a weekend of surveillance," answered Cati. "We didn't need to wait it out any longer! They would have hurt someone if we didn't act. The house was in a muggle neighborhood, and we caused a bit of an uproar. Now the Ministry is a bit angry because Obliviators had to be called in on their day off."

"It's just our bad luck that we happened to deem the demons a threat on a Sunday," said Cati.

"And we _may_ have forgotten to flash our Auror licenses first," answered Cadance.

"We _should_ be getting a slap on the wrists," said Cati. "Fudge has made this personal."

"Don't worry," said Mr. Weasley. "Clearly your uncle has a plan." Just then the door opened, and two Aurors walked in.

"The Minister is ready for you," one said.

**A/N: PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, REVIEW! I've had dozens of hits but only one review for the last chapter! Please review!**


	9. From Arrested to Promoted: What a day

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's.**

**A/N: PLEASE REVIEW! Thank you to Dizi 85 and Whitelighter Enchantress for reviewing!!!!!!!!!!**

**

* * *

**

"Well, girls," said Fudge, with a smirk on his face. "It's been a while since we've had a nice little chat."

They were in one of the offices of Azkaban. Fudge was standing behind a desk, peering down at Cadance and Cati, who were seated in chairs. Two Aurors flanked the doors.

"What do you want to talk about?" asked Cati casually.

"Oh, I think you know," he said.

Just then the door opened and Bob Reynolds strode in with Dumbledore at his heels. "Good afternoon, Minister," said Reynolds. Dumbledore was smiling pleasantly.

"What are you doing here, Dumbledore?" asked Fudge.

"Well, Cornelius, I am the Head of the Wizengamot, am I not?" asked Dumbledore.

"Yes, but you are clearly conflicted out of…"

"Oh, I don't think you understand me, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "These girls broke Ministry protocol. I have no intentions of covering it up. Let's talk punishment…"

"Oh, excuse me, Headmaster Dumbledore," interrupted Reynolds. "They only need punished if they actually did something wrong."

"Ah, well, yes. Of course. We'll have to determine that, won't we?" asked Dumbledore. "Well, what's the first grievance, Cornelius?"

"Let's start with their failure to report in before making a move on the supposed demon-ring," said Cornelius.

"Right, of course," said Dumbledore. "Protocol dictates that all observations be reported back to however was overseeing the mission from the Ministry—that would be you, General Reynolds—and that person gives the signal to attack. General, did Cadance and Catalin report back to you?"

"No," said Reynolds. "However, there were two other, more senior Aurors on that mission."

"Really?" asked Dumbledore, with what Cadance and Cati could only assume was mock surprise. "Did either of them report back to you?"

"No, sir, they did not," said Reynolds. "But they cited it as extenuating circumstances."

"Extenuating circumstances?" asked Dumbledore. "Girls, what were these extenuating circumstances?"

Cadance and Cati both stared at him, unsure of how to answer. Dumbledore had said to be vague. Cadance decided to speak up first. "We felt that the demonic threat needed to be taken care of immediately. It was a judgment call."

"What exactly made you feel that the threat needed to be taken care of immediately?" asked Dumbledore.

Again, hesitation before answering. Dumbledore gave an almost imperceptible nod. Cadance spoke up again. "Cati and I were undercover from the inside of the demon ring. They made it perfectly clear to us that they weren't afraid to kill to accomplish their goals. They were in the middle of planning something that was supposed to go down today. We _had_ to take them out yesterday."

"That sounds like reasonable cause for alarm," said Dumbledore. "What do you think, General Reynolds?"

"I would have given them the go-ahead," said Reynolds. "Minister?"

Fudge paused. Cadance and Cati tried to look incredibly innocent. "Well, even so, they _did not_ announce themselves as Aurors before they started attacking the demons," Fudge.

"Yes, indeed that is unfortunate," said Dumbledore. "Well, I suppose we'll have to do something about that."

"Actually, Headmaster, that's only if they _really_ didn't announce themselves as Aurors first," said Reynolds.

"The only two demons surviving the attack where brought into custody and they say that the girls just started firing spells at the demons, and that the other two burst in shortly after. They _did not_ identify themselves as Aurors," said Fudge.

"Yes, well, that is according to two _demons_," said Reynolds. "Sergeant Major James Beaver gives another account. He says that the girls were undercover inside and that they were waiting outside for the signal. Then, Dumbledore and Nuperson here drew their wands and the demons quickly returned fire. He said that he distinctly remembered hearing one of the girls shout that they were Aurors and order the demons to freeze. Right, girls?"

Cadance and Cati nodded vigorously.

"Ah, well, Cornelius," said Dumbledore. "I believe that clears everything up…"

"Not so fast, Dumbledore!" said Cornelius. "There is one matter remaining. These demons were _massacred_. Only two of them were brought in; the rest were vanquished? Protocol is to bring in as many as possible."

Cadance and Cati looked to Dumbledore. He nodded. This time Cati spoke up. "Sir, with all due respect, damn your protocol." Bob Reynolds immediately slapped his forehead.

"Minister, I believe what Cati is trying to say is…" said Cadance. "The Ministry wants demons brought in, because sometimes they can look human, and therefore some people think that it's murder when we vanquish them. Sir, I assure you, it's not murder. Goblins and House Elves and Centaurs and stuff… they get rights in the Wizarding world, because they try to work _with_ Wizards. Demons aren't like that. They're _trying_ to kill us. Sure, every little once in a while, you'll come across a demon with a conscious. This is rare. The ones that we're up against are the ones that are trying to do us harm. They _need_ vanquished. As an Auror, we are expected to follow protocol, because the Ministry fears backlash from other Wizards who think that _maybe_ the demon we vanquished _might_ be good. As a _Sorceress_, Sir, I know better. I'm paid to be an Auror, but I first am a Sorceress."

"You see, Sir?" asked Reynolds. "Are they free to go?"

Fudge was positively seething. "Yes, well, get out of here. But know that I'll be keeping a close eye on you for a while."

"My heart is all a-flutter," muttered Cati under her breathe as she and Cadance turned to leave. Cadance elbowed her as they scurried out the door, Dumbledore at their heels, ushering them along.

"Might I make a suggestion, Minister?" asked Reynolds after they had gone.

"What is it, General?" asked Fudge impatiently.

"I suggest, Sir, that in the future you leave the disciplinary action of those two to me," said Reynolds.

"Are you threatening me, General?" asked Fudge.

"Certainly not, Minister," said Reynolds. "I'm merely implying that it would be wisest to keep on Dumbledore and Nuperson's good side."

"General, as long as I sign all of your pay checks, it would be better for _you_ to stay on _my_ good side; do you hear me?" said Fudge.

"Minister, those two have the potential to be great Aurors," said Reynolds. "They are in the rare position where the Department needs them more than they need the Department. You'll realize what an amazing asset they are as soon as there's a real problem. Or else you'll push them away and you'll find what an incredible burden they are." Reynolds gave a dramatic sigh. "Just something to think about. Good day, sir."

Reynolds nodded his goodbye, then left. Cadance, Cati, and Dumbledore were waiting outside for him.

"Nuperson. Dumbledore," said Reynolds. Cadance and Cati looked at him, very innocently, with small smiles on their faces.

"Yes, General Reynolds?" said Cati.

"Let's just get back to the Auror Department. Arthur Weasley wants us to let him know how everything turns out," said Reynolds. He turned to head towards a fireplace and the other 3 fell into step behind him.

"General," said Cadance. Reynolds turned his head to look at her. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he said. "And, girls, I think that after this we've reached the point where we can be on a first-name basis."

"Okay, Bob," said Cadance.

"Bobby," added Cati.

"Robert…" continued Cadance.

* * *

"General B-Man," said Cati as they all entered Bob Reynolds's office, where Arthur Weasley, Drew, and Sergeant-Major Jim Beaver were waiting for them. Cadance and Cati had kept up a steady stream of nicknames since they left Azkaban.

"The Bobinator," said Cadance.

"Bob-a-rooni," said Cati.

"Enough," said Reynolds, pressing his fingertips to his temples.

"What happened?" asked Mr. Weasley.

"I made the mistake of telling them they could call me by my first name," said Reynolds, squeezing his eyes shut, and waving a hand vaguely in their direction.

"I meant about the Minister," corrected Mr. Weasley.

"Oh, we got them off," said Reynolds.

"What the hell did you two do?" asked Drew, shaking his head.

"Don't worry about it," said Cati. "After a morning in Azkaban, I need a stiff drink. Anyone up for a Tipsy's run?"

"I'm there," said Drew.

"Jim? Bobbie-boo?" asked Cati. "You guys coming?"

"If you stop coming up with nicknames," said Reynolds.

"Yeah, alright," conceded Cati. She turned to Dumbledore and Mr. Weasley. "How about it? You two spent some unwarranted time in Azkaban this morning, too."

"You go ahead. I want to talk to Cadance first," said Dumbledore.

"You can use my office," said Reynolds, as they all started out the door.

Once everyone had gone, Dumbledore put a hand on Cadance's shoulder and looked at her for a few seconds.

"I'm fine," she assured him, sensing where the conversation they were about to have was going to go.

"Naturally, you can imagine my concern? You hear crying in Azkaban that nobody else can hear," said Dumbledore. Cadance opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind. "What is it?"

"I think it was Jen," answered Cadance. "I think that while I was in Azkaban, I could hear my little sister crying."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, I assumed as much," he said.

"Azkaban… the Dementors… they force you to relieve your worst memories," said Cadance. "What I heard wasn't exactly a memory, but Jen is out there and I don't know where and the fact that she could be hurt or lost or scared is a very real fear for me, and it got played on in Azkaban."

"Cadance, when you get emotional, your Sorceress powers tend to…" Dumbledore trailed off, trying to find the right words. "…_manifest_ a life of their own. If you don't keep your emotions in check, they're going to destroy you. Fear can manifest into physical pain if you're not careful."

"The Ministry had better find my sister then," said Cadance. "Because that's the only way I'm going to stop being afraid."

"Come on," said Dumbledore. "I think we'd better get you a drink."

* * *

"Ah, Miss Dumbledore," said Bradley Patterson, as Cadance entered his office the next day. "I wasn't expecting a visit from you today."

"I just stopped by to see if there were _any_ leads at all on my sister," said Cadance.

"I'm sorry, Miss Dumbledore. We've been looking for over a year now and we haven't come up with anything," said Patterson. "I was going to send you a letter."

"A letter?" asked Cadance.

"Yes," said Patterson. "We're going to keep looking for your sister, but…" Patterson trailed off.

"But she's been gone for years, you haven't had a lead in months and there are _other_ cases that need your attention," Cadance finished for him.

"I'm terribly sorry," he said.

"Thank you," said Cadance, before turning around and heading out of the office. She headed back to the Auror Department. No sooner had she sat down in her cubicle when Cati's head popped up over the cubicle wall.

"Hey, Bob Reynolds wants us in his office," she said. Cadance didn't respond, or move. "What's up, buttercup?"

"Huh?" asked Cadance, finally looking up at her.

"Bob-a-roonie-doonie wants us in his office," said Cati. Cadance stood and she and Cati went to Bob Reynolds's office.

"Close the door behind you," said Bob. Cati closed the door, and then they sat down in the chairs in front of Reynolds's desk. "I think the two of you should know that we're promoting Sergeant Major Beaver to Lieutenant Commander."

"Good for Jim," said Cati, nodding appreciatively. "He deserved a promotion."

"He's going to be in charge of another mission very similar to the one you just went on. We're going to send two other Lieutenant Commanders with him," continued Reynolds. He paused and looked at Cadance and Cati, who looked back at him. "We're sending you."

"We're not Lieutenant Commanders," pointed out Cadance. "We're only Privates."

"Right," said Reynolds. "That's why you're getting promoted." Cadance and Cati stared blankly at him. "Promoted."

"We've been _promoted_?" asked Cati slowly.

"Yes," said Reynolds.

"Two days ago, we broke protocol, and _today_ we're getting promoted… how many ranks?... three ranks?" asked Cadance.

"Yes," said Reynolds, nodding.

"At this time last year, we were in Auror training," said Cati. "We're barely 19-years-old."

"I know," said Reynolds. "Congratulations on being the youngest Lieutenant Commanders in the history of the Auror Department."

There was a pause, where Cadance and Cati looked oddly confused. "Are you sure about this?" asked Cadance.

"Yeah, are you drunk or something? On pain medication?" added Cati.

"Listen, you two," said Reynolds, with an air that he was about to say something serious. "At the age of 19, you two already have more experience than more than half the Aurors older than you. I can't take the credit for it; it has nothing to do with your Ministry Auror Training. It's because of who the two of you are. I knew it from the moment I saw you at Auror Training. You were _awful_ at listening to authority, but you were _damn_ good Aurors, without having to be taught how. And the way I see it, we're better off with you two fighting for us your own way, than someone else following the rules and failing at it."

Cadance and Cati exchanged a look and then broke out into broad grins. "Thank you, Bob," said Cati, and Cadance nodded in agreement.

"You're welcome," said Reynolds. "Now about this mission…You leave in about two weeks. You'll be undercover again. _This time_ we need you to get information more so than vanquish the demon, so don't just vanquish him the first chance you get. Everything you need will come to you in a folder some time next week."

"Where are we being sent?" asked Cadance.

Reynolds shook his head. "It'll all come to you in that folder," he said. "Now, I've got a meeting in another department in 10 minutes, so I've got to go, but go see Lieutenant Commander Beaver and he'll let you know about your new responsibilities as Lieutenant Commanders." He stood up and gathered some folders from his desk and the walked out together. He said goodbye to Cadance and Cati as he headed out of the department, and Cadance and Cati continued on to Jim Beaver's cubicle.

"Hey, Lieutenant Commander Jimbo," said Cati, as they entered the cubicle area.

"Oh, so now we're coming up with nicknames for all our coworkers now, Lieutenant Commander Mouthy?"

"Lieutenant Commander Mouthy? Is that the best you could do?" asked Cati.

"My brain doesn't work as quickly as yours, which is probably why it took me six years to be promoted to Lieutenant Commander, which is still pretty quick by the way, and it only took the pair of you a year," said Jim.

"Alright, so we're tied for first," said Cati pointing back and forth between her and Cadance. "You've got to be in there at second place with six years, right?"

"Sixth, actually," said Jim. "Checked this morning. Andrew Mender is clocked in at fifth with four-and-a-half years. He retired a few years ago. Fourth is Frankie Daniels who was promoted to Lieutenant Commander in four years. Killed by Death Eaters a week later. And third is Minerva McGonagall, with one year and four months. She retired a month later and went to Hogwarts to teach."

"Wait a second, _our_ Minerva McGonagall? Get out!" exclaimed Cadance. "If she was such an excellent Auror, why did she leave to go to Hogwarts?"

"Who cares!?" exclaimed Cati. "WE BEAT HER!" She began to do a strange little dance.

"Minerva McGonagall has had us beat for years, so you'll excuse Cati's excitement over the one thing we've got her beat in," said Cadance. "Anyway, we were directed to you for instructions on how to be Lieutenant Commanders."

"Well, I've been one for about 10 minutes longer than you two have. And it could have been the other way around, had Cadance been in the office on time this morning," pointed out Jim.

"Yeah, what was up with that? You left before me this morning," said Cati. She looked contemplative for a second. "Did you have a booty call at Owen's this morning?"

"Cati," hissed Cadance, looking marginally murderous.

"No, she was in Bradley Patterson's office," said Jim.

"I didn't think it was long enough for a booty call, but you never know. Maybe Owen is…" began Cati before Cadance cut her off.

"CATI!" exclaimed Cadance, before turning to Jim. "Wait, how did you know I was in Bradley Patterson's office?"

"Patterson stopped by to warn Reynolds that you might be in a mood," said Jim. "You two were in there with him and he didn't want to disturb you. I was the good Samaritan who offered to pass along the message."

"Are you cheating on Owen with Brad Patterson?" asked Cati. "Because, really, he's kind of old-ish."

"He's 32," said Jim. "Hardly old."

"I said ish," said Cati.

"Really, you two, that's enough," said Cadance.

"What were you doing at Patterson's?" asked Cati.

"This is hardly the place to discuss this," said Cadance. "Not that there is anything to discuss."

"Am I going to have to do this the hard way?" asked Cati.

"What's the hard way?" asked Jim.

"It involves rum," explained Cati. "And mind control. And karaoke is an indirect result if we're lucky."

"Alright, I did that _one time_," said Cadance, pointing a finger at her.

"So what were you doing in Patterson's office?" asked Cati. Cadance didn't respond. "I take it that it wasn't good news about Jen then."

"You didn't get that three minutes ago when we started this conversation?" asked Cadance.

"Who's Jen?" asked Jim.

"Alright, I'm going to get back to work," said Cadance. "You know. It's called a job. That's why they send us money every two weeks in the form of a paycheck. We're supposed to do the work and then they give us the money and when we stop doing the work, that's when they fire us."

"Your sarcasm was duly noted, so you can stop now," said Cati as Cadance exited the cubicle, waving her hand behind her.

"So who's Jen?" repeated Jim once Cadance had gone.

"Her sister," said Cati.

"I didn't know she had a sister," said Jim.

"Yes, that's exactly the problem."

* * *

I don't see why you're planning on bringing it up," said Cati, as she and Cadance walked up to Hogwarts from Hogsmeade after work that day. "I don't see why you're planning on talking about Jen, let alone worrying about it. We really could just talk about the _news_ in our lives, not the _lack_ of news. It's news if they find her; not that they haven't found her yet."

"What makes you think that's what I'm worried about?" asked Cadance.

"Oh, _come on_," said Cati. "You have I haven't spent more than a couple hours apart since we were nine, except for that one summer before our 6th Year. I usually know what you're thinking. Right now you're worried about Jen and you want to talk to your uncle, even though there's nothing new to discuss."

"Cati," said Cadance, just as they reached the front doors. "The problem isn't that they haven't found her yet; it's that they've stopped looking."

"Merlin," muttered Cati, as Cadance pushed the door open and they entered. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Cadance, marginally unconvincing. "Don't bring it up at dinner."

"Alright," said Cati. They walked into the Great Hall where Dumbledore, Snape, McGonagall, and Flitwick, the only professors remaining at Hogwarts, were eating dinner.

"Girls!" cried Dumbledore pleasantly. "This is a nice surprise! Are you staying to dinner?"

"Yes, please!" exclaimed Cati, bouncing up to the table and sitting down next to her uncle. She immediately began piling mashed potatoes on a plate. Cadance took another empty chair, next to McGonagall.

"Catalin, you can't eat just mashed potatoes," sneered Snape.

"Sure I can," said Cati. "Watch."

"So, girls, to what do we owe the pleasure of your company this evening?" asked McGonagall.

"Oh, we got a promotion," said Cati, her mouth full of mashed potatoes.

"Didn't you get arrested yesterday?" asked McGonagall cocking an eyebrow.

"You know, Professor, it's funny… we _did_ get arrested yesterday," said Cati, nodding. "And today we broke your record."

"What record is that? Most detentions given in a single day to a single person for separate and unrelated incidents?" asked Dumbledore.

"No," said Cati, rolling her eyes. "We're now the youngest Lieutenant Commanders in the history of the Auror force."

"Wasn't I on the receiving end of those detentions?" interjected Cadance.

"You got promoted to _Lieutenant Commanders_ the day after you got arrested?" asked Snape, ignoring Cadance's question. "The Auror Department is shot to hell."

"Hey!" exclaimed Cati, offended.

"I'm sorry, but they just gave a big promotion to someone who is eating a pound-and-a-half of mashed potatoes for dinner," said Snape. Cati picked up her spoon, and used it to launch mashed potatoes at him. "Catalin…" sighed Snape as he wiped the mashed potatoes off of the side of his face.

"Are you giving me a head start?" asked Cati.

"Yes," said Snape, putting down his napkin.

Cati hopped up, leaned over and kissed the side of his face, and then bolted out of the Great Hall. Snape cleared his throat, and then stood up. "Excuse me," he said, before walking calmly out of the Great Hall.

"You know, it's been a lot quieter without the two of you around here," said Flitwick to Cadance, as he shook his head.

"I bet," answered Cadance.

Dumbledore gazed pensively at his niece. "Do we need to keep pretending that you're here for dinner, or do you want to go talk about what's bothering you right now?" he asked softly.

Cadance ran her hand over her face then nodded. She got up silently and started to head for the doors to the Great Hall. Dumbledore excused himself to the other to teachers then fell into step right behind her.

"So what _is_ the record for most number of detentions given in one day to one student for separate and unrelated incidents?" asked Flitwick.

"Eight," said McGonagall, taking a bite of vegetables.

"Impressive."

* * *

"I had expected this would happen," said Dumbledore with a sigh, when Cadance informed him the Ministry stopped looking for Jen. They were sitting comfortably in his office. "I'm surprised the active investigation was kept up this long."

"It's not fair! She's supposed to come to Hogwarts starting next year," said Cadance. "How can they just stop looking?!"

"Sometimes, dear, life isn't fair," said Dumbledore.

"What if the reason they can't find her is that..." began Cadance, but she trailed off and shook her head.

"Do _you_ believe your sister is dead?" asked Dumbledore, knowing what his niece was thinking.

Cadance thought for a moment, then shook her head. "No. Jen is alive."

"And we'll find her," said Dumbledore firmly. Cadance nodded. "Do you feel better now?"

"A little," conceded Cadance.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "Because now I must confide something in you and I'm going to need you to have a clear head about it."

"What is it?" asked Cadance, her interest perked.

"I'm sure you heard the news about the Gringotts break-in," said Dumbledore solemnly.

"Yes, of course. They've got Bill working over-time because of it," said Cadance.

Dumbledore stood and pulled out his wand. He tapped the cupboard behind his desk with it. Cadance heard a lock click as the door opened. He reached out and pulled a small package from inside the cupboard and placed it on his desk before taking his seat again. "The contents of the vault that was broken into," said Dumbledore, indicating to the package.

Cadance stared at the package for a few seconds, then closed her eyes and ran her hand over her face. "The reason Nicholas was here in May…?" she asked. Dumbledore nodded. "Then that's…?" Dumbledore nodded again. "And the Mirror of Erised is somehow involved in all of this?"

"Someone broke into Gringotts to get this," said Dumbledore. "Someone wanted the Sorcerer's Stone. A new darkness could be dawning."

"What do you need me to do?" asked Cadance.

"The school year is going to be busy," said Dumbledore. "I'm going to be hiding the Sorcerer's Stone here, and _that_ is where the Mirror comes in. Also, Harry Potter will be starting Hogwarts, and he'll need a close eye kept on him. What I _do not_ need is any additional distractions."

Cadance chuckled. "You want Cati and I to stay away," she said. "Fair enough. I'd probably tell Harry a lot of things he's not ready to hear. But be warned… I'm going to be around as soon as he's ready to hear them."

Dumbledore nodded. "I promise I won't stop you," he said. "I'm also going to need your help running errands throughout the year. I need you to be my eyes outside the walls of Hogwarts. Keep me posted on anything going on in the Ministry that could possibly be related to the Sorcerer's Stone. Whoever is smart enough to break into Gringotts, the safest place in the world for a secret, they surely will be smart enough to infiltrate the Ministry… and clearly they will stop at nothing." Dumbledore stood, and Cadance understood that it was time for her to go. She stood as well and leaned over and pecked her uncle on the cheek. "I'll be in touch."

Cadance turned to go. She had one hand on the doorknob when she paused. "It's not," she said.

"What's not, dear?" asked Dumbledore. Cadance turned around.

"Gringotts," she said. "It's not the safest place for a secret. Hogwarts is."

* * *

"Good news!" exclaimed Cati, as she bounced into Cadance and Cati's living room. Upon leaving Hogwarts, Cadance had gone directly home and Cati had gone to meet Drew to tell him about the incident with the mashed potatoes.

"You're not going to fling mashed potatoes anymore?" asked Cadance.

"And miss out on all the exercise I get when my uncle chases me around the dungeons afterwards? Hell no!" exclaimed Cati. "No, we're all going to Kala's tomorrow evening to celebrate our promotions!"

"And that make's tomorrow different from what we do every week how exactly?" asked Cadance.

"Well, this time we're doing it on a Wednesday," said Cati matter-of-factly.

"Ah, I see," said Cadance, nodding.

"Come on, it'll be fun! We haven't all been at Kala's bar together at the same time in over a month! And tonight is Bill's last day of overtime; he gets tomorrow evening off," said Cati. "Drew's going to stop by the bar tonight and tell Matt. Are you seeing Owen tonight? You can tell him yourself."

"He usually stops by on his way home from work," said Cadance. "I'll let him know."

"Good. Tomorrow should be fun."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for this chapter! I've actually already got the next one finished, and all I've got to do is proofread it! Look for it sometime this week. 


	10. Exboyfriends can be real demons

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!**

**A/N: I dedicate this chapter to my wonderfully weird sister, Lady Potter, who created the character of Cati and who also has read all of the good parts of this chapter over AIM.**

* * *

"Girls," said Bob Reynolds's voice gruffly. Cadance and Cati, in their neighboring cubicles, heard him before they saw him. They both stood up and leaned on the wall of their cubicles.

"You know, Bob, I would prefer it if you didn't call us 'girls' all the time," said Cati.

"And I would prefer it if you didn't leave a trail of breadcrumbs leading back to your cubicle whenever you go to the office supply room, but we don't always get what we want," said Reynolds.

"Hey!" exclaimed Cati defensively. "It's not my fault! All these cubicles look the same and they're basically set up in a maze! Last week I wandered around for an hour before I finally sent up red sparks and Cadance came to get me!"

"I knew you were somehow responsible for that fichus fire!" admonished Reynolds.

"Naturally," said Cati.

"Is there something we can do for you, Bob?" asked Cadance.

"Tomorrow, I'm going to be taking some of the new Aurors into the basement to take care of a pack of Grimlocks who barricaded themselves in a room full of old records. It'll be good practice for them," said Reynolds. "Unfortunately, the Auror Department's stock of potions has diminished considerably ever since that Niffler got lose and knocked all those shelves over last week, so we are completely out of Grimlock vanquishing potions."

"Bob, it is _5:30_. You want Grimlock vanquishing potions by _tomorrow_. We've got a _thing_ tonight," said Cati.

"Who let the Niffler lose in the potion store room?" asked Bob pointedly.

"You can't prove it!" exclaimed Cati.

"I'm going to need a supply of Grimlock vanquishing potions by tomorrow morning or else I'm going to Fudge and telling him that Jim Beaver was mistaken when he said that he and the other Aurors heard you identify yourselves as Aurors during that mission and you can go back to Azkaban."

"Oh, you're no ordinary boss, are you, Bob Reynolds?" asked Cati shaking her head.

"Hardly," said Reynolds, walking away.

"That's alright," said Cati. "We're no ordinary Aurors."

"Well," said Cadance to Cati. "The potion needs to stew for a few hours after you add all the ingredients, so we'd better put it on before we go to Tipsy's Tavern."

"It doesn't take both of us to brew a potion," said Cati. "I'm better at potion-brewing; I'll go home and do it and meet you at Tipsy's a little later."

"No, it's alright. It's not complicated," said Cadance. "I'll do it. Owen's not going to be able to make it there until later anyway. You can go on ahead to Tipsy's."

"Are you sure?" asked Cati.

"Yeah," said Cadance. "I'm sure."

* * *

After finishing up their work, Cadance and Cati used Floo Powder to travel back to their apartment. To make a statement, Cati left a trail of breadcrumbs leading from her cubicle to the fireplace grate. Bob Reynolds, also to make a statement, stole all of her contraband rubber bands from her desk drawer.

Once in their apartment, Cati went to go change, and Cadance started a fire in the fireplace to brew the potion. "Cati, how much do you think they're going to need?" Cadance called to Cati, who was in her room.

"Just a pot should be plenty!" returned Cati. "Can't be more than four or five lurking down there. Grimlocks like their space and we'd have heard about them before now if they got too crowded." Cadance began tossing ingredients into the pot as Cati came out of her room. "How long do you think you'll be?"

"This has to brew for a bit and then I've got to add the slugwort, and then I'll leave as it's brewing the rest of the way," said Cadance. "It couldn't take longer than an hour."

"Make sure you check in the Book of Light to make sure you're adding the slugwort at the right time," said Cati. "And I'll see you when you get there." She grabbed a light traveling cloak off the back of a chair and turned on her heel and Apparated out.

Cadance went to her room and quickly changed out of her Auror robes. Then she opened the trunk at the foot of her bed and pulled out a large leather-bound, ancient book. It was passed down in her family from generation to generation and contained many powerful spells and potions. She carried it to the living room and put it on the coffee table and flipped through it until she found the right page. The slugwort needed to be added to the potion as soon as it turned a rather unappetizing shade of green, judging by the illustration. Cadance closed the book and picked up the newspaper, looking up every now and then to check on the potion.

After about forty-five minutes, the potion was finally the right color. Cadance added a few scoops of powdered slugwort. The potion needed to brew for another couple of hours before it would be ready. Cadance glanced at her watch. It was close to 8:00.

Cadance reached over to pick up the Book of Light to put it away, but suddenly it flew off the coffee table, as if retreating from her grasp. Cadance groaned. It had a tendency to have a mind of its own. The book slid underneath the coffee table.

Cadance got down on her hands and knees and reached underneath and grabbed the book, expecting it to try to escape again. It didn't. She pulled it out and saw that it had opened to a page. She closed it and tried to put it under her arm to take back into her bedroom when it wrenched itself from her grasp and fell open to the floor.

"Alright, I can take a hint," said Cadance. She reached down and picked up the book again, this time leaving it open. She sat it on the coffee table and then looked to see what page it had opened to.

* * *

It was nearly 9:00 before Cadance finally walked into Tipsy's Tavern. Cati, Charlie, Bill, Drew, Matt, and Kala were all gathered at the bar; Matt and Kala were behind it, tending to customers.

"Hey, what took so long?!" exclaimed Cati loudly, having already had 3 drinks.

"Is Owen here yet?" asked Cadance.

"Not yet," said Matt, pouring Cadance her usual drink order and sliding it to her. She sat down in the empty chair next to Charlie and downed the entire drink.

"Tough day?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow.

"Potion-brewing makes her cranky," said Cati.

Charlie, however, was not convinced. "Are you okay?" he asked her quietly.

"I'm fine," said Cadance, as Matt poured her another drink.

"You don't seem fine," said Charlie.

"I'm going to the bathroom," said Cadance, excusing herself from the bar. "Don't take my drink."

"Cati, what the hell is going on?" asked Charlie, as soon as Cadance had left.

"Well, I think Bill and Drew are about to do karaoke," said Cati.

"No, I mean with Cadance," said Charlie.

"I don't think she wants to do karaoke."

"CATI! FOCUS!" exclaimed Charlie. "Why is Cadance in a mood?"

"Yesterday she found out that the Ministry stopped looking for Jen. She's been in a mood ever since," said Cati. "But she seemed fine before I left."

Charlie ran his hand over his face. "Hey, Matt, after she finishes this drink, give her something a little watered down," he said. "This is pure vodka, and we don't want her drinking herself silly." Matt nodded.

"She's already silly," countered Drew.

"Don't baby her," said Cati. "She'll get pissed off if she finds out. Sometimes you just need to get really really drunk."

"Not usually on a Wednesday night," said Bill.

"Well you're about to see something really special," said Cati. "Kala, bring me a bottle of rum."

* * *

After about an hour and a half, Cadance's mood still hadn't improved. She mostly sat quietly listening to everyone else's conversation, contributing very little herself. Just as Drew and Bill were about to get up on the bar and sing their third number for the evening, Kala announced it was getting near closing time and told them to get down. Kala always closed the bar by 11:00 on Wednesdays.

Kala, Drew, Bill, Charlie, Matt, and Cati made a plan to go back to Cadance and Cati's flat for the rest of the evening. Owen still hadn't arrived. "Cadance, do you want to lock up and wait for Owen here?" asked Kala, as most of the demons began to exit.

"Yeah," said Cadance, nursing her fourth drink.

"Alright, you know where the keys are," said Kala. "See you in a bit."

Cadance nodded as Drew, Bill, Cati, Matt, and Kala headed for the door so they could Apparate back to the flat. Charlie lingered for a second. "Want me to stay and wait with you?" he asked.

"No, it's okay," said Cadance, staring into her drink. Charlie squeezed her shoulder before following the others out. Cadance refilled her glass from the bottle that was sitting next to her. After about fifteen minutes the rest of the demons had gone, and finally Owen arrived.

"Hey, babe," he said as he walked in the front door. "Sorry it took so long, but we oversold ads for tomorrow's paper and we had to lay out the paper differently." Cadance continued to stare into her glass as Owen approached. "Are you okay?"

"Am I?" she asked, finally looking at him. Something in the look in her eyes made him stop about 10 feet from her.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"We're completely alone. And I'm getting near too drunk to fight you," said Cadance. She grabbed the glass and downed its contents. "What are you waiting for?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I don't know why you haven't killed me yet," said Cadance, shaking her head. "You've had plenty of opportunities. Why haven't you done it yet?"

A strange look crossed Owen's face, and then he broke out into a grin. "How long have you known?" he asked.

"A couple hours," said Cadance, pouring herself another glass. Owen began to look around the bar suspiciously. "Cati's not here," added Cadance. "I didn't tell her."

"How did you find out?" asked Owen.

"You're in the Book of Light. I saw the symbol from your necklace," said Cadance, taking a long drink. "I still don't understand why you waited. There were at least dozens of times when we were alone in my flat that you could have killed me and taken the book."

"So I suppose there's nothing left but for us to start trying to kill each other," said Owen. He held his hand out to the side and a ball of blue flames appeared floating above it.

"Don't be ridiculous. I'm not going to fight you, Owen," said Cadance. "You're going to leave and you're never going to come back and I'm never going to have to see you again."

"And why would I do that?" asked Owen. "You just said yourself that you're not going to kill me. Why _wouldn't_ I just kill you now then?"

"I don't think you'll kill me either, Owen," said Cadance. "Because we've been talking for at least two minutes and you haven't tried yet." There was a pause, and then Owen hurled the fireball at her. She threw herself to the floor just in time. Owen started forward, but Cadance threw her hand out in front of her, sending him flying back against the wall.

"You want to know why I didn't try to kill you yet?" asked Owen, getting to his feet, as Cadance got to hers. "Because I have gotten closer to you than any other demon ever has and I was planning on using that to the fullest extent possible. Look, it's already working; you won't kill me." Cadance threw her hand out, attempting to send him flying again, but Owen put his hand out in front of him and deflected it. "I had to wait, you see. All these months I've been picking up on your mannerisms. There are little things you do that give away what power you're going to use before you even use it. And because of this, I can deflect almost anything you send at me. The only way to beat you, Cadance Dumbledore, is to get inside your mind and know what you're going to do before you do it. That's why I will succeed where all other demons have failed."

"Owen, I don't want to kill you," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Doesn't matter, Cadance. You can't, anyway," said Owen, conjuring up another fireball.

* * *

Back at Cadance and Cati's flat, Bill, Charlie, Drew, Kala, Matt, and Cati were sitting around the kitchen table with a deck of cards and a bottle of rum. "Two threes," said Cati, putting two cards face down on the pile in the center.

"BULLSHIT!" exclaimed Bill jumping up.

"Bill, stop bullshitting me!" exclaimed Cati, flipping over the cards to reveal two threes. Bill picked up the entire pile and added it to his hand. "I haven't lied once yet! You're going to lose!"

"Who cares? I just like to scream 'bullshit'," said Bill, shrugging. "Eight fours," he said throwing a stack of cards down.

"Bullshit," deadpanned everyone else at the exact same time.

"Nope," said Bill, flipping over the cards to reveal eight fours.

"Hey, we're only using one deck!" exclaimed Kala. "How the hell did…. CATI! STOP CHEATING!"

"I'm not!" said Cati defensively. Matt grabbed her arm and tugged on her sleeve and several cards fell out. "Alright, so maybe I am a little."

"Is this how you keep beating those demons at poker?" asked Bill.

"Maybe," said Cati, sketchily.

"Alright, I'm done," said Drew, getting up and heading to the living room. Bill, Charlie, Kala and Matt got up and followed, murmuring in agreement, and Cati followed as well for lack of anything better to do.

"Hey, Cate, whatcha brewin'?" asked Drew, looking into the cauldron still bubbling over the fire.

"An annoying brother vanquishing potion," said Cati. "Almost time to try it out."

"HEY!" exclaimed Drew, pointing at her. "You promised Uncle Severus you'd never joke like that again! It's insensitive!"

"What are you going to do? Tell on me?" asked Cati, challengingly.

"Yes!" exclaimed Drew.

"Hey, no! Drew!" whined Cati. "Why are you being such a tattle-tale!?"

"Cati, you _are_ aware you're 19-years-old, aren't you?" asked Matt.

"Hey, why's the Book of Light out?" asked Charlie, gesturing to the coffee table.

"Cadance was brewing a potion before she left," said Cati. "We needed to get it to Bob Reynolds tomorrow morning."

"It's not open to a page about a potion," said Charlie. Cati glanced over.

The page it as open to described a particular demon. The demon had a human appearance. However, the book had no picture of the demon like it had for most of the other demons in it. The only illustration was that of a symbol: three interlocking, inverted triangles with an eye in the center.

"That's weird," said Cati. "I better put the book away." She reached down to grab the book, and as soon as she made contact, a weird feeling gripped her. Her eyes closed and her body tensed and she gasped.

"Premonition!" exclaimed Kala. Bill grabbed a pillow off of the couch and tossed it on the floor by Cati. A second later she collapsed to the floor, her head landing on the pillow.

"Nice shot," said Drew. He and Bill pounded fists.

Matt bent over and was going to lightly slap Cati's face to get her to come around, but suddenly she sat up, and scrambled to her feet. Matt jumped backwards. "Premonition?" he asked.

"Cadance…" said Cati. She turned on her heel and Disapparated out without another word. Everyone else exchanged a look and followed.

* * *

Owen waved his arm and Cadance flew backwards and hit the wall. Owen moved forwards saying, "You're beginning to annoy me."

"I'm not all that fond of you right now either," said Cadance, struggling to get to her feet. Owen grabbed her by her neck and pulled her upright.

"You won't use your powers on me?" he asked.

"You said it yourself; it would be pointless," gasped Cadance, grabbing his wrists.

"This isn't how I wanted this to go down, Cadance," said Owen squeezing harder. "Even as I'm choking the life out of you, you refuse to fight back." He released her and she fell forward, smacking her face off of a table.

Cadance drew her wand and pointed it at him. She took a few steps back to put some space between her and Owen. "You wouldn't have had to memorize my mannerisms if you didn't think I could kill you, Owen," she said, panting. "And you don't have the same advantage over me when I'm using a wand. Walk out the door, Owen. I don't want to kill you."

"It'll be no fun to kill you when you're not fighting," said Owen, shaking his head. "It won't make for as good of a story when I'm telling my demon buddies about it later tonight."

Cadance swung her wand above her head and then pointed it at Owen, sending a jet of light towards him. It grazed his arm. Where the jet made contact with him there was a deep gash that was beginning to ooze blood. "I missed on purpose," said Cadance. "I won't the next time. Get out."

"Just a flesh wound," said Owen. "You're going to have to do better than that."

Cadance was about to open her mouth to comment when Owen waved his arm in front of him, sending Cadance flying again, and she dropped her wand.

Owen started advancing again. Cadance waved her arm in an attempt to throw him backwards, but he deflected it. Cadance quickly lunged for her wand. Just as her hand closed around it, Owen brought his foot down on her wrist, pinning it to the floor. Cadance screamed in pain and released her wand. Owen moved his foot from her wrist and used it to kick her wand out of the way. Owen bent down and grabbed her by the front of her robes. "On the other hand, you know what would make a really good anecdote? I could kill you with my bare hands," said Owen, pulling her closer so that their faces were mere inches apart. "So this is it then. I, a demon, was able to trick Cadance Dumbledore into letting me into her heart—and her bed. And in the end, she wasn't even able to fight back."

"Let go of me," spat Cadance. As soon as she said it she realized how dumb it sounded. Owen moved one hand to around her throat and reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife. Cadance's vision was blurred and she was beginning to feel light-headed, as Owen's hand gripped her throat more tightly.

"I will be known forever as the one who killed the niece of the great Albus Dumbledore, and nobody ever even suspected me," said Owen. Suddenly, the door opened rather violently, and Cati came bursting in. She threw her arm out in front of her and the knife was ripped from Owen's grasp just as Charlie, Bill, Drew, Kala, and Matt came in behind her. Cati waved her arm again and Owen went flying backwards. Cadance collapsed to the floor, free of his grasp.

"What the hell…?" said Matt, looking around confusedly.

Cati strode forward and before Owen could get to his feet, Cati dug her foot underneath him and kicked him over onto his back. She planted one foot squarely on his chest and then dug her heel into his throat. Charlie and Bill rushed forward to Cadance's side. Kala, Matt and Drew stepped forward and pointed their wands at Owen.

"You lousy bastard," said Cati. Owen grabbed onto her heel and tried to move it, but Cati wouldn't budge.

"Cati, you can get off of him," said Kala.

"Why?" asked Cati, looking at her.

Charlie picked Cadance up and laid her on the bar, unconscious. "Come on, Cadance," he said, smacking her face lightly.

"Is she breathing?" asked Cati. "Because if she's not, Owen won't be either." She pressed her heel into Owen's neck a little harder. Owen began coughing and sputtering.

"She's breathing," said Bill.

"Just vanquish him, Cati!" exclaimed Charlie.

"I'm going to get someone," said Drew, striding out of the bar, and Disapparating.

"Drew, we _are_ adults! We can handle this ourselves!" exclaimed Cati at his retreating back. She removed her foot from Owen's throat. "Talk," she spat.

"Go to hell," returned Owen.

"I'll see you there," said Cati, kicking his head. "_Talk_."

"What do you want me to say?" asked Owen. "I'm a demon."

"The _only_ reason you're still alive right now is that I'm waiting to see if _Cadance_ wants to kill you herself," hissed Cati, returning her foot to his throat.

Suddenly, Cadance began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked up into Bill and Charlie's faces. "What happened?" she asked, as Bill grabbed her hands and helped her sit up. She swung her legs around so she was sitting up on the bar. She took in the sight in front of her, from Matt and Kala with their wands pointed at Owen to Cati standing on his chest. "Oh."

"I'll get the first-aid kit," said Kala, walking around the bar and rummaging around behind it.

Cadance brought her hand up to her face and felt the bruise that was beginning to form on her cheekbone and then moved to the bump on her forehead. Her other wrist was throbbing, and her side hurt as well. "Cati, get off of him," said Cadance, as Kala produced a first aid kit from behind the bar and handed it to Bill. "Let him leave."

"What?!" exclaimed Cati. "We can't just let him go!"

"It looks like you've punished him enough," said Cadance.

"Oh, yeah, you're real even now," said Cati sarcastically, not moving.

Bill reached over and put a small, brightly-colored band-aid on the large bump on Cadance's forehead. Cadance, Charlie, and Kala looked at him confusedly. "I don't _actually_ know what to do with this stuff," said Bill, holding up a strip of gauze and a tube filled with some sort of cream. Charlie rolled his eyes and took the kit.

Just then, Drew strode back in, followed by Bob Reynolds. "Well, what the hell is going on here?" He looked around, and then addressed Cadance. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy," returned Cadance blandly, as Charlie began to wrap her wrist with the gauze.

"Bob Reynolds?" asked Cati at Drew. "You say you're going to get _someone_ and it's _Bob Reynolds_? I would have thought you were going to get _Dumbledore_. No offense, Bob."

"The Auror Department was quicker. We sent an Auror to Hogwarts to get Dumbledore," said Drew.

"Cati, let him go," repeated Cadance firmly, as Charlie put cream on her bruised cheek.

"I'm not letting him go," said Cati defiantly.

"Bob, order Cati to let him go," said Cadance, appealing to Reynolds.

"I'm not here," said Bob, putting his hands up defensively. "If I'm here, I have to report this officially, and Fudge will have a field day. I'm in my office right now."

"Cati," said Cadance, with a pleading look. Cati rolled her eyes and got off of Owen, and he crawled to his feet. Matt, Kala, and Cati kept their wands trained on him.

"I could have killed you tonight; I could kill you any time I want," spat Cati. "Get out."

"Goodbye, Cadance. I'll see you around," said Owen with wink, on his way out. Charlie started to move aggressively, but Cadance grabbed his arm.

"Let it go, Charlie," she said.

"Let's get you home," said Charlie, helping her down off the bar. Cati walked over to them and put her arm around Cadance's shoulders as they all walked out.

* * *

Once they got back to Cadance and Cati's flat, Charlie got an ice pack from the freezer for Cadance's head and gave it to her. Cati sat with Cadance on the couch and put her arm around her shoulders. Reynolds stood by the fireplace. Everyone else sat in the remaining seats in the room.

As soon as they were all situated, Reynolds said, "Naturally, I don't expect you at work tomorrow," said Reynolds.

Cadance had her elbow resting on her knee and her head in her hand, with the icepack pressed against it. She didn't look up as she said, "Do you give every Auror who breaks up with their boyfriend the day off?"

"Cadance, you didn't _break up with your boyfriend_…" began Reynolds.

"You don't think he still thinks we're dating, do you?" interrupted Cadance, with mock concern.

"I don't know. I would assume that he _knows_ you're broken up, but he _did_ say 'I'll see you around' and that kind of implies…" began Matt but Bill tapped him on the shoulder and shook his head.

"She was kidding, man," he whispered.

"Oh," said Matt.

"I'll be at work at 9:00 a.m. _as usual_," said Cadance, addressing Reynolds.

"Actually, Cadance, we're usually _late_," said Cati.

Cadance looked up, glared at Cati, and then put her head back on the ice pack.

"Cadance, for once let's pretend like I'm a normal boss and you're a _normal_ employee and you listen to what I say. Take the day off. With any luck, none of this will get back to Fudge," said Reynolds. "Now, about Owen's threat…"

Before he could finish, the door opened and Dumbledore strode in with McGonagall and Snape right behind. "Holy shit!" exclaimed Matt, jumping up from the chair and scurrying backwards. He crossed his index fingers to make an X and held it out in front of him, as Snape sneered at him.

"Professor Snape," he said coldly.

"Moron who is dating my niece," answered Snape. McGonagall shoved Snape's arm and glared at him.

Dumbledore ignored everyone and went up to Cadance, who still had her head on the icepack in her hand, and had not looked up from the ground. Cati was still sitting next to her with her arm around her shoulders. Dumbledore reached down and put his index finger under his niece's chin and tilted her face up so he could look at it. He paused for a second as he took in the bruise on her cheekbone and the neon orange band-aid that was poorly concealing the large bump on her forehead. Cadance averted her eyes. Dumbledore took the icepack from Cadance hand and held it to her head for her.

"What happened?" he asked quietly, finally speaking.

"Owen is a demon," answered Cadance.

"Cadance wouldn't let me vanquish him," spoke up Cati.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"I'm fine," answered Cadance, unconvincingly.

"I'd like a brief run-down of the evening, Cadance, if you're up to it," said Bob Reynolds.

"I think that could probably wait," said Drew.

"Hey, Drew, you're _Cati's_ older brother, not mine," said Cadance. "You don't need to try to protect me."

"Oh, I sometimes get the two of you mixed up. I'm sorry," said Drew.

"It's okay," said Cadance. "Cati and I came home from work and I started brewing that Grimlock vanquishing potion that you wanted and I was going to meet Cati and the others at Kala's bar as soon as I was done. Cati left and I checked the Book of Light for something and it kept opening itself to a certain page on a certain demon. It didn't have a picture of the demon, but it had a picture of a symbol. I recognized the symbol. Owen had the same one on a necklace. So I went to the bar and waited for him; he had said he was going to be late. After a while, Cati, Matt, Kala, Bill, Charlie and Drew all left and Kala told me I could lock up after Owen showed up. When he finally _did_, I let him know that I knew who he was and I told him to leave. Then he attacked and I fought back, but…" she trailed off.

"But what?" asked Cati.

"He hadn't spent the last six months idly," said Cadance. "He was in my head. He knew what I was going to do before I did it, and he was prepared for it. I wasn't trying to kill him; I was just defending myself. But it didn't matter. He could see right through me."

"We came back from the bar and I saw the Book of Light was open and I got a premonition when I went to put it away, and then we headed over to the bar," said Cati, picking up the story.

"Actually, first we played cards and you _cheated_," said Drew.

Cati made a face at him, then continued. "We rushed to the bar just as Owen was about to finish you off," said Cati. "Then Drew went to get Reynolds, and Cadance made me let Owen go."

"Not before Owen made a _threat_," said Reynolds. "Cadance…"

"It wasn't a threat; it was a taunt," said Cadance. "Really, Bob."

"I'm going to need a minute alone with my niece," said Dumbledore, not taking his eyes from her face.

There was a pause as everyone exchanged a look, then Cati said, "Hey, did you guys see the wallpaper in my room? It's got flowers on it."

"Yeah, let's go look at it!" said Bill, faking excitement.

They all filed down the hallway, as Cati said, "Well, it's the wallpaper that was up when we moved in but…" The door closed, leaving Dumbledore and Cadance alone. Dumbledore sat down in the seat that Cati had vacated.

"You should probably be checked out by a doctor," said Dumbledore.

"I'm fine," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"You've got bumps and bruises on your head, your wrist is bandaged, and by the way you're nursing your side, I believe you probably have a broken rib or two," said Dumbledore. "And you were just betrayed by someone who you thought was very close to you. You're not fine."

"I'll _be_ fine then," said Cadance. She paused. "I let him go. I couldn't bring myself to vanquish him."

"You couldn't?" asked Dumbledore. There was no surprise in his voice.

"No," said Cadance. "I know it was dumb. Are you disappointed in me?"

"Cadance, I would have been disappointed if you _had_ vanquished him," said Dumbledore. "If you had vanquished him, then you are not at all the young lady I thought you had grown up to become—the young lady I raised you to be."

"I'm sorry, Uncle Albus," she said. "I should never have let a demon get so close."

"You have nothing to apologize for," said Dumbledore, shaking his head. Suddenly they heard some bumps and thuds from Cati's room, and then an angry voice. Just then, the rest of the group came spilling out into the hall and walked back into the living room.

"Sorry, but can we come out now? My uncle doesn't know how to behave in a group," said Cati, glaring at Snape.

"I just opened the closet door," hissed Snape.

"You opened it violently _onto_ Matt," said Cati.

"He shouldn't have been standing there," argued Snape with a sneer.

"Why don't you go to bed?" suggested McGonagall to Cadance. "You've had a long night." Cadance paused for a second, thinking about it, then nodded.

Her uncle squeezed her hand comfortingly and said, "I'll check up on you tomorrow morning."

As Cadance started down the hallway, Snape tossed her a smile vial. "Dreamless sleep potion," he explained. Cadance nodded. There was complete silence from the group in the living room until they heard her door close.

"Cati, Drew, I want you to take the day off tomorrow, too," said Reynolds. "She shouldn't be alone." Cati nodded.

"I knew there was something fishy about him," said Charlie, shaking his head. "We should have seen it. Professor Dumbledore, this is our fault."

"It's nobody's fault, Mr. Weasley," said Dumbledore shaking his head. "But I should have seen it, too." He paused then looked up at Reynolds. "Now tell me about this threat that Owen made."

"Cadance doesn't seem to think it's a threat," said Cati.

"Baloney," said Reynolds. "Taken in context, it was definitely a threat.

"For my own peace of mind, I'd like to know about it," said Dumbledore.

"As he was leaving he said '_I'll see you around_'. The words themselves mean nothing, but it was the _way_ he said it," said Reynolds. "I don't believe we've seen the last of this demon. He knows Cadance doesn't want to vanquish him. Why would he stay away?"

"Well, there's nothing more we can do about it tonight," said Dumbledore, standing.

"I'm going to stay up and keep and eye on things," said Cati.

"I'll stay with you and keep you company," said Matt. Snape made an odd noise snarling noise. "No I won't. I'll see you tomorrow, Cate." He bent down and kissed Cati's cheek, then made his way toward the door. As soon as it closed behind him, Cati cocked an eyebrow at her uncle.

"Nice," she said sarcastically.

"_I'll_ stay with you and keep you company," said Drew, rolling his eyes.

"Bill and I can come after work tomorrow," said Charlie.

"I'll stop by tomorrow morning as well," said Dumbledore. He looked at McGonagall and Snape, indicating that it was time to go. Cati removed the pot of potion from the fireplace so everyone could use Floo Powder to leave. Reynolds left last, as Cati was bottling up the Grimlock vanquishing potion for him.

"Let me know if anything happens," said Reynolds, as Cati put several vials in a bag.

"Will do," said Cati, handing him the bag. She paused, and it looked as if for once in her life she were picking her words carefully. "If you had gotten to make the call tonight, would you have had me vanquish Owen?"

"If I had been in Cadance's position, I can't say I wouldn't have made the same call as she did," said Reynolds. "But if it had been up to me tonight, Owen would have been dead in an instant. Nobody—and I mean _nobody_—messes around with my Aurors. Sometimes all we have is each other."

* * *

Back at Hogwarts, McGonagall and Snape sat in front of Dumbledore's desk as he massaged his temples.

"Worried, Albus?" asked McGonagall.

"Wouldn't you be?" asked Dumbledore.

"I _am_," said McGonagall, nodding her head. "But she's young and resourceful. She'll bounce back."

"I know she will," conceded Dumbledore.

"Then perhaps there's something else on your mind," said McGonagall. "Something that you don't even realize." Dumbledore looked up at her expectantly. "You didn't know Owen was a demon when you met him, and you didn't know that Cadance was in trouble tonight." McGonagall paused. "What else is going on under your nose that you don't know about?"

"A very troubling question, Minerva," said Dumbledore shaking his head.


	11. In which two characters sleep together

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!

A/N: Well, another chapter done. PLEASE REVIEW.

* * *

Cati and Drew spent a rather uncomfortable night on the couch, taking turns drifting in and out of sleep and keeping an eye on things. Finally, around 7:00 that morning, Drew got up to make coffee. Cati followed him into the kitchen and sat at the table, with her head in her hand and her elbow propping it up. "I'm glad you stayed with me. You know, Drew, I don't think you and I spend enough time together anymore," said Cati.

"What are you talking about? We see each other all the time," said Drew.

"I mean, we should do stuff, just you and me, more often," said Cati. "Like, real brother-sister bonding."

"Oh, you mean we should stay up all night guarding your best friend from her ex-boyfriend more often?" asked Drew, pouring some coffee for him and Cati. "Sounds like fun."

"You know what I meant," said Cati. "You're my brother, Drew."

"I know, kid," said Drew, grabbing her nose. She swatted his hand away. "Want some breakfast?"

"You cookin' it?" asked Cati. Drew nodded. "Then hell yeah." Drew started pulling things out of the refrigerator to make breakfast.

"So what are we going to do about Cadance?" asked Drew, as he started making eggs.

"I don't think there's anything we _can_ do now," said Cati, shaking her head and taking a sip of coffee. "But I think we should have vanquished him."

"Yeah, I think you made that quite clear when you dug your heel into his windpipe," said Drew.

"He's dangerous," said Cati. "He got _that_ close to Cadance without any of us realizing that he was no good."

"Not true. Charlie, Matt and I tried to tell you that we got a creepy vibe from him," pointed out Drew.

"You get a creepy vibe from the _mailman_," said Cati pointedly rolling her eyes.

Just then, they heard the front door open and close. Cati and Drew tensed for a second, before they heard Matt's voice call out, "Cati?"

"Kitchen," responded Cati. Matt came in gave Cati a quick kiss before sitting down.

"Want some breakfast?" asked Drew, still standing at the stove.

"Nah, I can't stay long," responded Matt. "Everything quiet here?"

"Yeah," said Cati. "And Cadance is still sleeping."

"No she's not," said a voice from the doorway. They looked up just in time to see Cadance walk in, still in her pajamas, one hand was holding her side and the other was rubbing her eye sleepily.

"All right, Cadance?" asked Matt, as she sat down at the table.

"Peachy," said Cadance, wincing a little as she shifted position.

"Sore?" asked Cati.

"It's nothing," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Your black eye is looking better," said Matt. "How's your wrist?"

"Still hurts," said Cadance, rubbing it.

"Let me see," said Matt, holding out his hand. Cadance hesitated a second before holding out her wrist. Matt gently ran his fingers along it. Cadance winced. "It's not broken, but it _is_ dislocated."

"How can you tell?" asked Drew, turning around to look.

"I'm in my third year of medical training," answered Matt. "I just work at the bar at night to pay the bills."

"Did you know that?" asked Drew, cocking an eyebrow at Cati. Cati nodded. "Why didn't you say something last night?"

"I didn't think she wanted to be poked and prodded last night," said Matt, shrugging.

"I don't want to be poked and prodded _right now_ either," said Cadance, pulling her wrist into her body and wincing a little.

"It might go back into place on its own eventually," said Matt. He held up his hand, as if looking for a high-five, and said, "Press your hand up against mine." Cadance obeyed. He held her forearm and pushed gently on her hand, bending it backwards.

"Ow!" yelped Cadance, jerking her arm.

"Yeah, we should probably pop that back into place right now or else you could tear your ligaments," said Matt. "Cati, get me a bandage."

"What?" asked Cadance, as Cati leaned backwards in her chair to reach a drawer by the refrigerator, filled with odds and ends. She produced a strip an ace bandage from the drawer. Matt tightened his grasp on her arm with one hand and then grabbed her wrist. With one movement of his hand, there was a fairly quiet '_pop_' and Cadance jumped a little. "Ow! That hurt!"

"How did this happen?" asked Matt as he began to wrap the bandage around her wrist to keep it in place.

"Oh, uh, last night my boyfriend tried to kill me," answered Cadance, nodding solemnly.

"Yeah, so I heard," said Matt, rolling his eyes. "I mean, how _exactly_? Did you smack it off of something?"

"No, I had to make a lunge for my wand, but I wasn't quite fast enough," said Cadance, shaking her head. "He stepped on it."

"Well, you're lucky he didn't break it. It's your wand arm," said Matt. He tied the bandage off. "All done. Now let's see your side."

"My what?" asked Cadance.

"You've been nursing your side," said Matt. "You might have a broken rib."

"It's _fine_," said Cadance firmly. "Really."

"Okay, then," said Matt. "I've got to go to class soon, but I'll leave instructions with Cati on what she should do when your broken rib punctures your lung and you start bleeding internally."

"Cadance, just let him look at it, or no pancakes for you!" argued Drew. Cadance rolled her eyes and stood up. She lifted her shirt up a little bit to reveal a large bruise on her side.

"Ew," said Cati, squinting at it. "Hey, that's kinda shaped like cupcake!"

"I got thrown into a table," said Cadance as Matt ran his fingers along it. She winced a little.

"Okay, none of your ribs are broken. Just take it easy for a while," said Matt, pulling her shirt back down. "I've got to go. I'll see you later tonight." He stood up and pushed his chair in. He leaned over and gave Cati a quick peck on the cheek.

"Thanks, Matt," said Cadance.

"No problem," said Matt, squeezing her shoulder comfortingly, before leaving.

"You know, if you told Uncle Severus that he was in Med school, he might like him more," said Drew, putting down plates of food in front of Cadance and Cati. He got himself a plate and joined them.

"Well, I didn't get that far into the introduction," said Cati, as she began eating.

Just then there was a knock on the door. "I'll get it," said Drew, getting up and leaving the kitchen. He came back in a few seconds later with Dumbledore at his heels.

"Good morning," said Dumbledore, giving them all a small smile.

"Would you like some breakfast, sir?" asked Cati.

"Oh, no thank you. I already ate," said Dumbledore. "How are things here?"

"Fine," said Cadance.

"And by 'fine' she means a dislocated wrist and bruised ribs," said Drew.

Cadance shot him a nasty look. "Thank you, Drew," she said sarcastically.

"You know you're going to have to disclose that to Bob Reynolds, don't you?" said Dumbledore.

Cadance groaned. "It's my wand arm. I'm going to get pulled from active duty until Bob Reynolds clears me," she said.

"We're going on that mission with Jim Beaver in a week-and-a-half," said Cati.

"Damnit!" spat Cadance. "There's no way he's going to let me go! Even if I'm put back on active duty by then, there's no way that he'll let me go if I didn't train for it beforehand!"

"You mean we're not going?" asked Cati, sticking out her lower lip.

"Well, Cati, _you're_ still going," said Cadance.

"You mean, split up?" asked Cati, confusedly. "We haven't spent more than 12 hours apart since we came to Hogwarts when we were nine, except for that one summer before our 6th Year! That's one time in the last ten years!"

"Well, you've got to split up sometime," said Drew. Cadance and Cati stared at him blankly.

"Maybe we could just not tell Bob Reynolds," suggested Cati.

"Yeah, that will work," said Drew. "Hey, Cadance, catch!" He picked up an empty juice glass and tossed it lightly at Cadance. She reflexively held out both hands and caught it.

"Ow!" she yelped, as the glass hit her hands and her wrist bent. "Alright, I see your point."

Just then, there was another knock at the door. "Bob Reynolds," said Cadance and Cati at the same time.

"I'll answer it," offered Dumbledore, exiting the kitchen and returning a few seconds later with Bob Reynolds.

"How are you feeling this morning?" Bob asked Cadance.

"I'm going to kill the next person who asks me that," said Cadance. "I face demons _all_ the time. I'm fine."

"She has a dislocated wrist and bruised ribs," said Drew pointedly to Bob.

Cadance glared at him. "Why do you keep ratting me out?" she asked.

"Wand arm?" asked Reynolds, addressing Cadance. Cadance raised her bandaged right wrist in the air and sighed. "You know I have to take you off of active duty until that's healed up."

"I know," said Cadance, rolling her eyes.

"What if we _pretended_ she wasn't hurt?" asked Cati, conspiratorially.

"Do I need to throw the glass again?" asked Drew.

"Bob, that mission…" said Cadance, trailing off, and looking at him hopefully.

Bob looked thoughtful for a moment. "Today's Thursday. That mission is set to leave next Friday," he said. He heaved a sigh, and shook his head. "You can't train next week, and I can't send you out there blind. I promise, you can go on the next one." Cadance and Cati both stuck out their bottom lips and made their eyes really wide. "Now, don't give me that look. I can't break protocol like that! Not again! Not twice in one week!"

"Pwetty pwease?" asked Cati.

"Avert your eyes, Bob!" suggested Drew. "They'll crack you like a nut!"

Bob immediately dropped his gaze to the floor, averting his eyes. Dumbledore chose that moment to step in. "Girls, suck those lips right back in," he said, raising and eyebrow. Cadance and Cati immediately obeyed.

"You're going to have to teach me how to get them to listen like that," said Bob, shaking his head. "I've got to get back to the department. The maintenance guy wants to talk to me soon. Someone clogged copier with marbles and he was just getting them out as I was leaving." Cati immediately burst into a fit of laughter. Bob narrowed his eyes at her and shook his head. He pointed his finger at her and said very sternly, "We're going to have to have a little talk about proper department etiquette later."

"Yeah, okay, that'll go well," said Cati sarcastically to Bob's retreating back as he left the kitchen. A few seconds later they heard the door open and then close again as he left. "So..." said Cati, looking around. "What are we going to do today?"

* * *

"Hey, Cadance," said Jim Beaver, popping into her cubicle. It was Wednesday; it had been a week since the incident at Kala's bar. Matt had removed the bandage from Cadance's wrist on Monday, and Reynolds had put her back on active duty the next day.

"Hey," said Cadance, turning in her seat to look at him. "Done training for the day?" Cati and Jim had been preparing for the mission and Cadance barely saw them at all in the department all week, though she saw Cati at home.

"Done training period," said Jim. "We're pushing up the mission. We're leaving sooner now."

"Oh?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow.

"Cati's off telling Bob Reynolds right now," said Jim.

"You mean he hasn't okayed this yet?" asked Cadance.

"No," said Jim, shaking his head. "That's why _Cati's_ going to convince him."

"Why are you pushing it up?" asked Cadance.

"Cati's come up with a new plan that will get us in and out in about four or five days," said Jim. "And she just found out this morning about a poker tournament in Vegas…"

"Oh, sweet Merlin," said Cadance, bringing her hand to her face and shaking her head. "She wants to get the mission over with early so that she can go to Vegas? Bob will _never_ go for that!"

"Yeah, well, you'd be surprised," said Jim, amused. "Cati's got the ultimate bargaining chip."

"What's that?" asked Cadance.

"A solemn promise that she will stop shoving things into the copy machine," said Jim.

"Ah," Cadance said with a nod. "I see."

"What are you going to do with Cati gone for a few days?" asked Jim.

"Ah, I've got big plans," said Cadance. "I've got a large stack of reports to finish and a trip to Diagon Alley with my uncle on Friday."

"How exciting," commented Jim, with a smile. Suddenly, Cati came running past. She darted into her cubicle and they heard her rummaging around in her desk.

Cadance and Jim raised their eyebrows at each other, then shrugged. "When will you leave if Bob okays it?" asked Cadance, ignoring the sounds coming from the next cubicle.

"Tonight if we can swing it," said Bob. "Tomorrow morning at the latest."

Just then, Cati popped into Cadance's cubicle. Her arms were laden with a rubber chicken, a jar of mayonnaise, a plastic bag full of sand, and a long chain of paperclips. "Go get ready to go!" she exclaimed at Jim, before running back out. They heard her thundering towards Bob Reynolds's office.

"I told you she's got the ultimate bargaining chip," said Jim.

Just then Drew appeared in the entrance to the cubicle. "Why did my sister just go running by with sand and mayonnaise and a rubber chicken?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Don't worry about it," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Well, it looks like Cati's got Bob Reynolds to agree, so I better go get ready to leave," said Jim, heading out of the cubicle. "I guess I'll see you guys in a few days."

"Where's he going?" asked Drew, after he was gone.

"He and Cati are leaving for their mission early," said Cadance.

"Oh, I guess we're flying solo tonight then, chickadee," said Drew. "What do you want to do?"

"I wasn't aware we had plans," laughed Cadance.

"Of course!" exclaimed Drew. "You don't think I'm going to leave you all by your lonesome, do you? Not after what happened."

"Drew," said Cadance exasperatedly. "It's been a _week_. I'm _fine_. Stop being so overprotective! You're not my brother."

"You know, you keep telling me that, but that doesn't make it true," began Drew, putting his arm around her shoulder. Cadance looked up at him as he continued. "Everyone always says 'You can't pick your family', but I just don't believe that. Cati and I picked you a long time ago and you picked us, too. We love ya, pumpkin."

"Awww, Drew," said Cadance, giving him a smile. "I love you, too. Very much."

"Good," said Drew. He kissed the top of her head. "So what are we going to do tonight?"

"Whatever you want to do, Drew," said Cadance.

"How do you feel about going to Tipsy's?" asked Drew. "Kala's missed you and Cati this week."

"Sure," said Cadance, nodding. "That'd be fine."

* * *

Cati and Jim left as soon as they were ready. After work, Cadance went home and changed out of her Auror robes. Drew, who went home to change as well, met her there, and they went to Tipsy's Tavern. Kala looked up as they came in and broke out into a grin. "Hey, where's your other half?" she asked.

"Off being an Auror," said Cadance as she and Drew took a seat at the bar. Kala began pouring them their usual drink orders. "She'll be back in a few days." Cadance took a long drink from her glass.

Just then, the door opened and Charlie walked in. "Kala, pour me something strong. I just nearly had my arm bit off by a Swedish Short Snout," he said as he approached the bar. He rumpled Cadance hair as he sat down next to her. "How are you doing?"

"I'm fine," said Cadance, smoothing her hair. "How's the dragon?"

"She's fine. We didn't realize she was nesting, so she was much more aggressive than we anticipated," said Charlie. "We had to move her, because she built her nest too close to the edge of the forest. We were worried she'd be spotted." Kala slid a drink down the bar to Charlie. "It missed me so I'm fine, by the way; thanks for asking."

"Where's Bill?" asked Drew.

"Oh, we're not going to be seeing much of him for the next few weeks," said Charlie. "He's in the tombs for the rest of the month."

"Ew," said Cadance, making a face. "I bet it's very stuffy down there."

"Yeah, not mention the _ancient Egyptian curses_ around every corner," said Charlie.

"_Damn_, that is so not fair," said Cadance. "You nearly get mauled by a dragon; Bill is dodging curses in what I can only imagine to be a very Indiana Jones-like way; and _I_ filed incident reports all day!"

"I spent this afternoon mopping up the puke of an unidentifiable demon," said Kala.

Cadance paused for a second then grudgingly said, "Okay, you win."

"Yeah, and I really can't imagine Bill as Indiana Jones," added Charlie. Cadance shrugged.

They all chatted idly for the next hour or so until Drew looked at his watch. "Well, ladies and gent, I've got an incident report that I've got to file tomorrow, so I better go finish it," he said.

"Why didn't you finish it at work today?" asked Kala.

Drew paused, then said simply "Office bowling." He looked at Cadance. "I'll see you tomorrow morning at work."

"Great, we'll bowl a frame," said Cadance, winking at him. Drew chuckled, then said goodbye to everyone before exiting the bar. Someone at the end of the bar flagged Kala down to get their drink order.

Cadance downed the rest of her drink then slid off her bar stool and said, "I think I'm going to head out, too," she said.

"Hold on, I'll escort you home," said Charlie, getting up as well. He called down the bar to Kala, "Kala! We're heading out!" Kala waved in acknowledgement.

"Charlie, you don't have to…" began Cadance.

"I know, but I want to," said Charlie, ushering her towards the door. Once outside, they Apparated to Cadance's flat.

"You know, you don't have to baby me," said Cadance, throwing her light traveling cloak on the back of the chair.

"I know," said Charlie. "We just haven't really had a chance to talk since everything happened last week and I wanted to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine. _Really_," said Cadance. "Demons try to kill me all the time."

"I know that you're fine with _that_. And I know you can take care of yourself," said Charlie. "But I also know _you_. You let someone get close to you, and they hurt you, and you're _not_ okay with that."

Cadance looked like she was about to protest for a second, then she sighed, and sank down onto the couch. Charlie sat down next to her. "_How_ could I have let him get so close?" she asked, shaking her head. "How could I not have _realized_ it? How could I not have sensed it?"

"Because you thought he loved you. And that's what you wanted. It feels good to be loved," said Charlie, sincerely.

"It clouded my judgment. With the other two demons, I realized they were demons quickly. Owen was much smoother than those two; he was much sneakier," said Cadance. "I think there are just some people who aren't meant to be in a relationship, for whatever reason, and I'm one of them."

"You know that's not true," said Charlie dismissively.

"Yes, it is," said Cadance, argumentatively. "I'm maladjusted."

"How many beers did you have tonight?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow.

"One-and-a-half, thank you very much," said Cadance emphatically. "I'm not drunk."

"Well, you sound like a drunk lunatic," scoffed Charlie. "_Maladjusted_… really, Cadance." Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Okay, maybe maladjusted was the wrong _word_…" said Cadance with a sigh, sinking into her seat and leaning her head back on the couch.

"Look at me for a second," said Charlie, gently. Cadance sighed and looked at him un-amusedly. "You are the smartest, funniest, prettiest girl I've ever known and any guy would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks, Charlie," said Cadance dully, leaning into him and resting her head on his chest, while Charlie put his arms around her to give her a hug. Charlie chuckled a little. Cadance glanced up at him with a confused look on her face.

"You know, everyone is so worried about you because they think you're emotionally scarred because someone just tried to kill you," he said. "But as it turns out you're just upset you got dumped."

Cadance slapped his chest lightly and feigned a look of disgust. "Excuse me! _I_ told _him_ that I never wanted to see him again! _I_ was the one who ended it!"

"Yeah, after he tried to _kill_ you," said Charlie. "You only broke up with him to save face."

Cadance pulled away and said, "Charlie, I can't believe you're…" but she was cut off abruptly, because Charlie leaned in and kissed her on the lips. He pulled away after a few seconds and they stared at each other.

"You kissed me," said Cadance, not blinking. "What was that for?"

"I don't know. It seemed like a good idea at the time," said Charlie, as they continued to stare awkwardly at each other. "Right, well, I better be going." And before Cadance could say a word, Charlie got up and moved for the door. As soon as he was across the threshold, Cadance caught a glimpse of him Apparating as the door was closing behind him.

Without taking time to think, Cadance stood up and turned on her heels, Apparating right into Charlie's living room, ignoring the usual formality of Apparating right outside of the front door and knocking, as would be the more polite thing to do. Charlie, who had Apparated in only a few seconds before her, turned at the sound of the faint _pop_ when she entered.

"You kissed me," said Cadance bluntly, look him square in the eyes with her hands on her hips.

"Uh… yes. I did," said Charlie. They stared at each other silently for a few seconds.

"Why?" asked Cadance, breaking the silence.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have," said Charlie, shaking his head. "You're in this vulnerable position because of everything that just happened and I shouldn't have…"

"You kissed me," interrupted Cadance.

"Yes, I was trying to explain…" began Charlie. "I just…"

In response, Cadance threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. They pulled away after several seconds.

Charlie cracked a grin and looked Cadance square in the eyes. "You kissed me," he said. Cadance rolled her eyes.

* * *

"Well, we've never done that before," said Charlie, a little while later as they were lying in bed. A trail of clothes led from the living room to the bedroom.

"Well, we _have_," said Cadance, rolling over onto her side and propping herself up on her elbow to look at him better. "Just not with each other."

"Good point," said Charlie. Cadance laid back down. She scooted over and cuddled against him. He slid his arm around her. "We may need to have a very serious talk later."

"About what?" asked Cadance. There was a pause then they both started laughing. They talked for a little longer until they both drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Cadance woke up first. She tried to slip out of bed, but Charlie had his arm draped over her and he pulled her closer. Their faces were inches apart. "I have to go," whispered Cadance, with a chuckle, tapping his nose with her index finger.

"Mmmm," grunted Charlie without opening his eyes.

"I have to go to work," she said. "And so do you."

Charlie finally opened his eyes and glanced at the clock. "No, it's not time to wake up yet," he said.

"It's 8:30," said Cadance.

"Yeah, we're in _Romania_," countered Charlie. "It's 6:30 in London. You don't have to be at work for two and-a-half hours yet."

"What about you?" asked Cadance.

"I don't have to be at work until 9:30," said Charlie.

"You are ruining my attempt at a graceful exit," said Cadance.

"Oh, sorry," said Charlie, letting go. "I didn't realize." He leaned over and grabbed one of his button-down shirts from the chair and tossed it to her. She put it on, then hopped out of bed and started grabbing some of her clothes.

"Will I see you later?" called Charlie, as Cadance followed the trail of clothes out into the living room, picking up anything that was hers.

Cadance poked her head back in the room. "See, Charlie, that's the problem with sleeping with friends… you _always_ see them later." She winked at him, and then disappeared again. Charlie heard the faint pop as she Disapparated.

* * *

Bob Reynolds arrived at the Auror Department every morning at 8:00. After going to his office and checking for any urgent messages, he would go and get himself some coffee from the break room. In order to do this, he would have to pass Cadance and Cati's cubicles. In the year since they had started at the Auror Department, not once had they been there during Bob's early morning trek to the break room.

That's why Bob had to do a double-take when, on his way past, he noticed that Cadance was sitting in her cubicle, perusing some paperwork. "Er… Dumbledore," he said tentatively.

Cadance looked up. "Yes, Bob?" asked Cadance pleasantly.

"Do you know what time it is?" he asked.

Cadance looked at her watch. "It's ten-after-eight, Bob," she said.

"What are you doing?" asked Bob.

"Well, as I am sure you are well aware because you were so kind as to remind me the other day, Cati and I haven't filed paperwork in about three months," said Cadance. "So I am finishing up some of that so it can be filed."

"At… 8:10."

"Yes. That would be the correct time," said Cadance. Bob stared at her blankly for a few seconds. "Is there something I can do for you, Bob?"

"I'm going to go get coffee," he said, shaking his head and walking away. He went to the break room and poured himself a mug, convincing himself that he had imagined that Cadance was in and that he would walk past her cubicle on his way back to his office and the cubicle would be empty. It wasn't.

"Are you sure there isn't something I can do for you, Bob?" asked Cadance, after Bob stopped and stared at her for a few seconds.

"Alright, what did you do?" he asked, looking at her accusingly.

"Nothing," said Cadance, shifting uneasily. "Why?"

"You don't have to be in until 9:00, and I think I've seen you in _on time_ about twice," said Bob. "You're early. _What did you do_?"

"_Nothing_," said Cadance, insistently. "Geez, can't a person just get into work early for once!"

"You put something in the coffee, didn't you?" he asked, holding his mug up. "You got here early so that you could mess with the coffee before I got in. That's it, isn't it?"

Cadance rolled her eyes at him and snatched the mug from his hand. She took a drink of his coffee then handed it back to him. "See," she said.

"I'll get to the bottom of this," said Bob, staring her down. "You did something and I'll figure it out." He held up two fingers and pointed to his eyes and then to Cadance and then back again. "I'm watching you, Dumbledore." Cadance rolled her eyes as he headed back to his office.

She went back to her paperwork, her mind only half on it. Half of her focus was on Charlie and what they had done the night before. Charlie was one of her best friends. How would he act around her now? How would she act around him? She mused over these things until Drew stopped by her cubicle around 11:00 on his way to turn in paperwork to Bob.

"What'd you do after I left last night?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Cadance hurriedly. "Why?"

"Just curious," said Drew, flipping through his paperwork, checking to make sure it was all done. "Got anything you want me to turn in?"

"Yeah," said Cadance. "Forge your sister's signature on these and then you can take them." She pushed a few papers his way. He leaned over and quickly scribbled Cati's name then picked them up and added them to his stack.

"Alright, I'm going to go turn these in, but then you owe me a frame of Office Bowling," he said, pointing at her.

"You got it," she said, going back to her own paperwork.

After a few minutes, Drew returned. "We're going to have to put Office Bowling on hold, Sweet Pea," he said, holding up two files.

"We're getting out of the office?" asked Cadance.

"Yup," said. Drew.

"Even better. What do you have?" asked Cadance.

"Dedalus Diggle shot off some shooting stars in Kent… _again_. And Mundungus Fletcher's gotten drunk and is running his mouth in a muggle bar… _also again_," said Drew. "Bob said you'd probably want Mundungus." He held out a file.

"Thanks," said Cadance, taking a file from him. "Remind Dedalus that he's within fifteen kilometers of a muggle neighborhood and that shooting stars are on the list of unacceptable magic for those parameters. He's probably just forgotten again; you know how his memory is awful."

"Good luck sobering up Mundungus," said Drew.

* * *

While Drew Apparated to Kent to take care of Mr. Diggle, Cadance exited the Ministry and entered muggle London. She made her way to the bar listed in the file. It didn't take her long to spot Mundungus. He was sitting at the bar in Wizard robes. Luckily, there weren't very many people in the bar, as it was shortly before noon. However, she had to get him out of their quick before the lunch crowd made their way in. She started towards the bar. As she got closer she was able to hear what he was saying to the other people sitting at the bar.

"… I thought I slew a dragon once," he slurred. "'Course it wasn't a _real_ dragon. Just a large lizard. Gotten itself doused with some sort of potion to make it grow. Biggest damn lizard you ever saw!"

"_Mundungus_," she said, once she reached the bar.

"Oh, Cadance Dumbledore!" he exclaimed. "I'd like to introduce you to my new friends!" He indicated to the two people sitting near him.

"Nice to meet you," slurred one, holding his hand out.

"Charmed," said Cadance, shaking it.

"Cadance's uncle is that bloke I was tellin' you all about," said Mundungus. "Albus Dumbledore… now there's a great man. Only one that You-Know-Who ever feared. And with good reason, too! I've never seen someone draw their wand so fast…"

"Alright, Mundungus, come on," said Cadance, grabbing his arm to steady him as he got off the stool. "It's time to go home."

"There was this one time when was cornered by Death Eaters—those are You-Know-Who's supporters—and I thought we were done for. That was me, Minerva McGonagall—she's Deputy Head at Hogwarts now—and Jimmy Prewett—he died a few months later—and we were on Top Secret Order business, having a meeting with someone…"

"Come on, Mundungus," said Cadance, rolling her eyes. She gave a gentle tug on his arm to get him moving, but he didn't budge.

"… We didn't have our wands out, because as you can imagine that wouldn't have been good form—negotiating with your wand out is a threat. Turns out it was a trap and we had eight Death Eaters staring us in the face, and us with no wands because Minerva and Jimmy and me—we was all scared that they'd fire on us before we could get them. Well, ol' Dumbledore—he pulled his wand out so quick that we hardly even saw it. Got us out of that bind…"

"Mundungus, let's go, it's time for your medication," said Cadance, pulling a little harder on his arm. He started to move.

"Medication? Am I taking a magic potion?" asked Mundungus.

"If we go now, I'll get you all the magic potions you want," said Cadance.

"Oh, I don't think I really need any, but thanks for offering, dear," said Mundungus, patting her hand affectionately

"Time to go," said Cadance, who couldn't help but smile a little at him.

"Alright. Do they have a fireplace around here or are we going to have to Apparate?" asked Mundungus, taking her arm.

"Lively imagination your friend's got," said the bartender, as they started for the door.

"He's creative when he's soused," admitted Cadance nodding, but silently thanking Merlin that muggles go out of their way to not believe in magic.

They left the bar and ducked into an alleyway. "Shouldn't you be at work?" asked Mundungus.

"I _am_ at work," said Cadance. "Hold my arm tight." A second later, they Apparated into Mundungus's living room.

"Ah, home," said Mundungus, collapsing onto the couch.

"Mundungus," said Cadance. "You have _got_ to stop going to muggle bars."

"You're a good witch, Cadance," said Mundungus, closing his eyes. "You were raised by your uncle so I'm not surprised." Suddenly he let out a loud snore.

Cadance shook her head and then turned on her heel, Disapparating out. She arrived back at the Ministry and made her way to the Auror Department. When she reached her cubicle, she found Bob Reynolds going through her desk. She cleared her throat and Bob jumped. "I _will_ find out why you came in early!" exclaimed Bob, before heading out.

Cadance rolled her eyes and sat down at her desk to start the report on Fletcher's little bar escapade, writing it up in a way that would get him out of trouble. She worked on that for a while until she was interrupted by a visitor.

"Hard at work?"

Cadance jumped and turned around to see Charlie standing at the entrance to her cubicle. "Charlie!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I took an early lunch," said Charlie, shrugging. "You left something at my place last night." He pulled something out of his pocket and tossed it at her. She looked down at it. It was her bra. She quickly shoved it into a desk drawer and looked around to make sure nobody saw, as Charlie burst out laughing.

"And to think I was worried that you'd start acting weird around me after last night," hissed Cadance, keeping her voice low.

"Nah," said Charlie dismissively, perching himself on the edge of her desk. "Er… I _do_ have a question about your 'graceful exit' this morning."

"Hmmmm?"

"Was it a _holy-hell-what-did-I-just-do-I-gotta-get-out-of-here_ exit or more of a _wow-that-was-great-I-hope-I-don't-ruin-it-by-making-an-awkward-exit_ attempt at a graceful exit?" he asked.

Cadance gave him a wry smile. "The second one," she said.

"Oh. Good," said Charlie, running his hand through his hair. He sounded genuinely relieved. "How's your day been?"

"It's been fine. I got to get out of the office this morning to drag Mundungus's drunk ass out of a muggle bar," said Cadance.

"Ah, Mundungus," said Charlie, shaking his head. "What's going to happen to him?"

"Nothing," said Cadance, holding up the report. "Because I'm going to fix the report."

"Will Bob Reynolds notice?" asked Charlie.

"Why do you think Bob gave him to me?" responded Cadance.

"You're good, kid," said Charlie, winking at her.

"I think that you shouldn't be allowed to call me 'kid' now that we've slept together," said Cadance.

"It's an affectionate nickname," countered Charlie.

"Drew calls me 'sweat pea' or 'pumpkin'," said Cadance.

"Oh, so you want me to call you some sort of vegetable?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow.

"Actually, a pumpkin is a technically a fruit and a sweet pea is a flower. You can't eat a sweet pea. It's poisonous," said Cadance.

"Whatever you say, potato," said Charlie.

"Starch."

"Rutabaga?" asked Charlie.

"You know, there's a million reasons why we shouldn't let anything like what happened last night happen again," said Cadance pointedly.

"Oh, yeah," said Charlie nodding in agreement. He paused. "What are you doing tonight?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and Cadance cracked a smile.

* * *

"Maybe we _should_ have a chat," said Cadance, as she and Charlie were lying in her bed later that night. She shifted so her head was on his chest.

"Whatever you want, chickpea," said Charlie. "But I can think of something a little more fun."

"But we just did _that_," said Cadance. "And a chickpea is a legume."

"Since when did you learn so much about agriculture?"

"What are we doing?" asked Cadance, propping herself up on her elbow.

"We're cuddling," said Charlie.

"Charlie, come on, be serious," said Cadance.

"Hey, you didn't want to have this very serious talk last night," said Charlie.

"That was _before_...uh…tonight," said Cadance.

"And now you think we should talk about… last night and tonight," said Charlie.

"What are we doing?" repeated Cadance.

"Well, it seems we've started sleeping together," said Charlie, rolling over and propping himself up on his elbow as well. He took his free hand and stroked Cadance's arm.

"Is that a good idea?" asked Cadance.

"I guess that depends on what you define as a 'good idea'," said Charlie.

"Are we going to ruin our friendship?" asked Cadance.

"I think the only way this can ruin our friendship is if we got into a _relationship_ and it didn't work out," said Charlie.

"So, I suppose we should probably stop," said Cadance, dropping her gaze from his eyes.

"Probably," said Charlie. He paused. "Well, unless…"

"Unless what?" asked Cadance looking back up.

"Well, so long as we didn't get _into_ a relationship, we could probably keep doing this," said Charlie.

"You mean we just keep sleeping together?" asked Cadance.

"You're one of my best friends. I like being around you. And now, we've found something else we can enjoy doing together," said Charlie.

"Oh, like… mini-golf," said Cadance.

"Yes," said Charlie. Then a strange look crossed his face. "Wait… what?"

"Some friends like to go mini-golfing together," said Cadance. "We do… _this_."

"Oh, I get it," said Charlie. "Yes, sex is like mini-golf."

"So what do you want to do now?" asked Cadance. Charlie gave her a lop-sided grin. "Again?"

"You only live once, kid," said Charlie.

"I thought I told you not to call me 'kid'," said Cadance, as he leaned in to kiss her. His lips had barely touched hers when suddenly Cadance gasped and pulled back. "Shit!" she spat.

"Uh... what?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow at her.

"We forgot one very important thing," said Cadance.

"What's that?" asked Charlie.

"Cati."

"Well, I was kind of thinking we could do this without her, but, hey, what the two of you do when you're alone in your apartment is..." He broke off when Cadance shot him a glare. "You're not putting out anymore tonight now, are you?"

"Not likely."


	12. In which the Exboyfriend returns

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's!

A/N: Sorry I took such a long break! I stopped everything in preparation for the 7th Harry Potter Book!

**PLEASE REVIEW!**

* * *

The next morning, Cadance woke up when the sunlight began streaming through her window. She wrinkled her nose and turned away from her window. "Mmmphf," grunted Charlie as she accidentally smacked him in the face. Cadance had forgotten he was there. She mumbled an apology and then buried her face into his shoulder. Charlie reached for his wand on her bedside table and without opening his eyes he pointed it at the window. The shade fell and the room became darker once again. He rolled over onto his side and pulled Cadance in closer.

"What time is it?" he asked lazily.

"Don't know. Day off. No work," said Cadance.

Suddenly, they heard the front door open and close rather loudly. "CADANCE!" came Drew's voice.

Cadance and Charlie's eyes popped open and they sat up quickly, looking at each other with wide eyes. Cadance gasped. "I forgot Drew was coming over! We're supposed to go to Hogwarts together this morning," she hissed. She sprang out of bed and grabbed her robe off of the bed post and put it on.

"What are you going to Hogwarts for?" asked Charlie.

"I'm going to Diagon Alley with my uncle and Drew is visiting his," answered Cadance. She sprang to the door. She opened it a crack and slipped out, just as Drew was coming down the hallway.

"Did you forget I was coming?" he asked pleasantly.

"Yeah, kinda," said Cadance, trying to act nonchalant as she blocked the slightly ajar door with her body. Closing it all the way would seem suspicious. "It'll only take me a few minutes to get ready."

"Alright. I'm supposed to bring a box of empty potion bottles to my uncle or something. Do you know anything about that?" asked Drew.

"Yes!" said Cadance, a little too excitedly, because she was marveling at her stroke of good luck. "They're in the back of Cati's closet. Why don't you go grab them?"

"Okey-dokey," said Drew. He went into Cati's room.

As soon as he was out of sight, Cadance swung open her door, almost smacking Charlie, who was buttoning his shirt. Silently, she beckoned to him to leave. He started down the hallway. He got halfway down it, then he turned around and ran back to her. He grabbed her face and gave her a quick kiss before running back out. He had barely closed the front door when Drew came out of Cati's room with a large box of empty potion bottles. A smile was creeping across Cadance's face.

"What's that look for?" he asked raising his eyebrows at her.

"Nothing," lied Cadance, tearing her gaze away from the door. "I'm just excited to go to Diagon Alley is all."

* * *

"Hi, Uncle Albus!" chirped Cadance as she burst into his office.

"Hello, dear," he said, smiling at her. "Have a seat."

"I didn't do it," she said as she sat down in front of his desk.

"I just need to talk to you for a minute before we leave," said Dumbledore. "Er—you know what I'm going to be hiding here this school year. We are going to be picking up some… supplies, for lack of a better word. Can I trust that you won't ask me what they are for? I can't go into specifics."

"You have my word," said Cadance.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "I _will_ tell you that all of these things will help to hide it." He handed her a list of things they needed to pick up. Cadance raised an eyebrow at him after glancing over the list, which seemed rather obscure.

"Are you serious?" asked Cadance.

"Completely serious," said Dumbledore. "I also have to stop in and see Mr. Ollivander about a wand that was recently purchased there and the Gringotts Goblins about last month's break-in."

"Okay," said Cadance. "Are you ready to go then?"

"I'm ready whenever you are, my dear."

* * *

"Okay, so we got the giant dog bones and they're going to be delivered next week," said Cadance, pulling out a quill as they left the magical menagerie. "And like I promised I'm not going to ask why you need them, but just so you know I think it's _really_ weird."

"Duly noted," said Dumbledore. "Where next?"

"Where do you suppose we find a bunch of old keys?" asked Cadance.

"We could start with an antique shop," suggested Dumbledore.

"And then we've got to stop at the Apothecary for some potion ingredients. And then…" she trailed off and gave a sideways look down a side passage where Knockturn Alley lay. "Only one place I know of to get a cut of Devil's Snare."

"We'll get that last then," said Dumbledore.

"Then why don't we stop at…"said Cadance, trailing off as two Aurors in uniform hurried past her. "What do you think that's about?"

"I'm not sure," said Dumbledore. "Come on." He put his hand on her back and they headed in the direction that the Aurors ran. They didn't have to go far. Sitting at one of the tables in front of the ice cream parlor was Bob Reynolds with a frantic woman and a somewhat calmer man. The two Aurors had walked up to them. Another Auror was about to push past Dumbledore and Cadance in order to join them.

"Hey, Mitch, hold on a second," said Cadance, grabbing his arm.

"Oh, hi," said Mitch the Auror. "Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"What's going on?" asked Cadance.

"Edward and Katherine Wendell," said Mitch, nodding at the man and woman sitting at the table. "Their daughter is missing. They looked for an hour themselves and couldn't find her so they called in Aurors. He works for the Ministry, so Bob Reynolds got involved personally." The two Aurors were waving Mitch over so he made his way to the little table.

Cadance turned back to Dumbledore. "You're off-duty," said Dumbledore, reading the look in her eyes.

"Am I ever really off-duty?" asked Cadance.

"Good point," said Dumbledore, taking the list from Cadance. "I'll just go have a word with Mr. Ollivander and the Gringotts goblins and then I'll meet you in the Leaky Cauldron."

"See you in a bit," said Cadance, as she made her way to the table. Bob Reynolds saw her approaching and he got up from the table and made his way to her.

"It's your day off," said Bob, cutting her off before she could even open her mouth. She gave him a look and he sighed. "Alright. You might actually be a big help… You're like a kid; where would you go if you wandered off in Diagon Alley?"

"Excuse me," said Cadance. "I have _never_ wandered off in Diagon Alley." Bob stared at her pointedly. "Sweet shop."

"Checked there," said Bob.

"Eyelops?" asked Cadance.

"Not there," said Bob.

"Did someone check Knockturn Alley?" asked Cadance.

"Her parents say they've warned her to stay away from there," said Bob.

"So you didn't check there?" asked Cadance.

"No."

"Bob, you've got a lot to learn about kids," said Cadance.

"Oh, yeah, like _you're_ some expert," said Bob sarcastically.

"Hey, I grew up with the _Weasleys_. And like you said, I'm like a kid myself," said Cadance.

"Alright, you take Knockturn Alley," said Bob. He pulled a picture from his pocket and handed it to Cadance. It was of a little girl about 11-years-old. She had long blonde hair and big brown eyes. "Her parents gave me this. Her name is Cara. She's just about to start Hogwarts."

"Alright, I'll meet you back at Fortescue's after I check out Knockturn Alley," said Cadance.

"Stay on your toes," said Bob. "They're so buried in the Dark Arts down there that they'd do anything to avoid getting in trouble for it. I don't want to have to explain to your uncle how you died on your day off."

"Alright, but just in case you have to, I'm supposed to meet him at the Leaky Cauldron in a little," said Cadance, as she started up the street towards the entrance to Knockturn Alley. Bob Reynolds shot her a look.

Cadance turned into the alleyway across from Gringotts and entered Knockturn Alley. It was dirtier, less crowded and unfriendly. The occupants were shabbily dressed and seedy looking. They were staring at her as if she didn't belong, which she obviously didn't.

"Miss Auror is looking for something she lost, no?" came a high-pitched voice from behind Cadance. She spun around and found herself facing an old woman, whose shawl was up around her head. She was hunched over and held a cane with one hand, and her shawl with another. She was incredibly creepy.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" asked Cadance, taking a few steps backwards.

"You're Dumbledore's girl," she hissed. "And you've lost something."

"Ma'am, I'm looking for a lost little girl," said Cadance. "Do you know where she is?"

"Nobody knows," hissed the old woman. "That's why she's lost."

"Well, thanks anyway," said Cadance, turning around to head on her way. She wasn't getting a good vibe from this woman.

"Now, the little blonde one is a different matter," said the old woman. Cadance turned back around.

"Have you seen her?" asked Cadance, eyeing her warily.

"I saw more than that," said the old woman.

"Where is she?" asked Cadance. The old woman pointed in between two buildings. There was a very small alley. Cadance looked back at the old woman, who nodded. Drawing her wand, Cadance headed into the alley. After a little way in, it opened up into a much larger space behind the buildings. Sitting in the corner, on a barrel was a little girl, matching the picture that Bob Reynolds had shown her.

"Cara," said Cadance, pocketing her wand and moving forward. The girl looked up, tears streaming down her face.

"Please, he said he'd kill me!" she exclaimed. Cadance stopped dead in her tracks and pulled her wand back out. She noticed that Cara had her arms tied in front of her, bound at the wrists.

"Where is he?" asked Cadance. Cara shook her head. Cadance started to move towards her again, when suddenly she was thrown backwards by an invisible force. She landed on her back several feet away from where she had been standing. She sprung to her feet, just as a very familiar figure appeared in the corner, standing next to the barrel, holding a knife to Cara's throat.

"Owen," spat Cadance, her eyes narrowing. She gripped her wand tighter. "Let her go."

"Can't do that, Cadance," said Owen. "You have something that I want."

"And what's that?" asked Cadance.

"Your powers," said Owen. "Your sorceress powers."

"You'll have to kill me to get them," said Cadance.

"If I don't get them, I'm going to kill _her_." He touched the knife to Cara's skin and she shrieked. "Drop your wand."

Cadance hesitated, but then let her wand slip from her grasp and put both of her hands in the air. "Let her go," she repeated.

"Don't you move," Owen hissed at Cara, who had begun to sob. He strode up towards Cadance and grabbed her wrists, forcing them behind her back. He pulled a rope from somewhere inside of his robes and he tied her hands together.

"What now?" asked Cadance, turning her head to glare at him.

"Give me your powers," he said.

"I don't know how."

Without warning, Owen whirled around a whipped the knife at Cara. Cadance screamed. Cara screamed. The knife hit the barrel that Cara was sitting on.

"I told you I would kill her," hissed Owen, grabbing Cadance's shoulders and forcing her to look at him.

"You _bastard_," said Cadance.

"I want your powers so that I can kill you with them," said Owen. "If you cooperate, I will make sure that it's quick and painless. Don't make me fight you for them."

"Drop dead," said Cadance. She spit on him. Owen reached into his robes, pulling out another knife, and Cadance tensed, waiting for him to stab her. However, Owen just spun her around so that she was facing the other way and threw the knife. Cadance shrieked again as the knife sailed towards Cara. This time it hit its mark square in the chest. Cara slid off of the barrel and lay still on the floor.

"NO!" cried Cadance, she began to drop to her knees, but Owen grabbed her around the waist with one arm and used the other hand to point her face at Cara.

"You did that, Cadance," he hissed in her ear. "It's your fault. You can watch her die now."

"You can rot in hell," said Cadance, her voice cracking, and tears beginning to stream down her face.

"There may still be time to save her. I'll let you go if you give me those powers," said Owen. "Time is running out. Are you ready?" Cadance squeezed her eyes shut and then nodded. "That's my girl." He moved his lips down to her neck. Cadance shuddered. "I learn from my mistakes, Cadance. This time Cati isn't here to save you…"

Suddenly, Owen was blasted off of his feet by a perfectly aimed spell. Cadance dropped to her knees and then fell on her side. She heard a _crack_ as Owen Disapparated. Her body began to shake with sobs. She saw, through blurred vision, Bob Reynolds rush towards Cara. He knelt next to her. She could feel someone untying her wrists, but she couldn't see who it was. After her wrists were freed, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and looked in Bob Reynolds's direction. He looked back at her and shook his head.

"No!" cried Cadance, slamming the ground with her fist.

"Cadance," said her uncle's voice softly. Cadance turned her head. Her uncle was kneeling next to her, holding the rope that had bound her. He had cut it off her wrists. He reached for her arm but she pulled away and scrambled to her feet and ran over to Cara, dropping to her knees next to her.

She slapped Cara's face lightly. "Come on, Cara," she said softly. She put her index and middle fingers on her neck, trying to feel for a pulse. Bob tried to put his hand on Cadance's shoulder, but she shrugged it off. "She can't be dead. She can't be!"

"Cadance," said her uncle, who had followed her. He reached for her arm again, and this time she didn't pull away. He helped her to her feet and she threw her arms around his neck and sobbed onto the front of his robes. He put his arms around her to comfort her.

"He killed her and it's my fault!" sobbed Cadance, her voice muffled slightly.

"Come on," said Dumbledore, leading her out of the alley, as the three other Aurors rushed in. He led her back into Diagon Alley and they made their way to the Leaky Cauldron. People were throwing them odd looks the entire way. In the Leaky Cauldron, Dumbledore steered Cadance to the bar.

"What's wrong with her, Professor Dumbledore, sir?" asked Tom. "Need something strong to take the edge off, eh?"

"Just water, please, Tom," said Dumbledore. "And perhaps a private parlor." Tom ushered them into a back room, which wasn't open because the bar wasn't crowded enough. He left and came back quickly with two glasses of water and a box of tissues. Cadance had her elbow resting on the table and her head in her hand. "Could you tell General Reynolds that we're back here when he comes in looking for us, please, Tom?"

"Of course, sir," said Tom, bowing out.

Dumbledore pulled a tissue out of the box and handed it to Cadance. She started to dry her eyes. "Are you hurt anywhere?" asked Dumbledore. Cadance didn't respond. "Have some water." He put one of the glasses of water down directly in front of her. She raised her arm and swung it, knocking the glass off the table. It hit the floor and shattered. Patiently, Dumbledore put the other glass in front of her. She raised her arm and swung it again, but this time, Dumbledore grabbed her wrist before she could knock the glass over.

"How could this have happened?" asked Cadance, finally speaking. "I got that little girl killed."

"Cadance, that's not true," said Dumbledore. "Owen killed her. It was not your fault."

"He said he would kill her if I didn't give him my powers," said Cadance, brushing her hair out of her face. "He even threw a warning knife."

"It's _not_ your fault," repeated Dumbledore emphatically.

"And if I would have just let Cati kill him last week, none of this would have happened," said Cadance.

"You couldn't have known that this would happen," said Dumbledore reassuringly. "You couldn't have known he would go after someone else."

"He's a demon. It doesn't take a giant leap to think that he'd go after someone else," said Cadance. "I let him go and he killed someone! He killed a child!"

You didn't anticipate this," said Dumbledore. "You can't punish yourself for something you didn't anticipate."

"I _should_ have!" exclaimed Cadance, pounding her fist on the table.

Just then Bob Reynolds came in. "Mr. and Mrs. Wendell are in the bar," he said. "They're waiting while the Aurors move the girl's body to St. Mungo's."

"Then they would probably like some privacy," said Dumbledore, getting to his feet. "Tell them they can come in here. Cadance and I are just about done."

"I've got two Aurors searching Knockturn Alley," said Bob. "But I don't think they'll find any sign of Owen."

"No," said Cadance, as she stood up. "He'll be long gone by now."

"Are you alright?" asked Reynolds. Cadance nodded. He stepped out of the way to make room for Dumbledore and Cadance to pass him.

Cadance looked up and saw three Aurors around Mr. and Mrs. Wendell, who were sitting at the bar. Bob Reynolds went up to them and said something quietly, and then they got up and started to follow him to the room that Cadance and Dumbledore had just vacated. Mr. Wendell had his arm around his hysterical wife.

Cadance stopped as they passed her. Before Dumbledore could stop her, she stepped forward and said, "Mrs. Wendell. Mr. Wendell." They stopped and looked at her expectantly. "I'm sorry. It's my fault. He wanted me." There was a pause, and then Mrs. Wendell struck Cadance hard across the face. Cadance looked at the floor as Mrs. Wendell stalked away, still crying.

Mr. Wendell paused then said, "I'm sorry about that." Cadance looked back up at him. "She's… well, she's upset."

"I'm so sorry," said Cadance, her eyes welling with tears.

Mr. Wendell gave her a sad smile. "I knew your parents. We were at school together. They were good people." This made Cadance feel worse.

* * *

Cadance accompanied her uncle back to Hogwarts upon leaving Diagon Alley. She sat in a chair in front of his desk, while he worked on some paperwork. She didn't talk, and he didn't press her. After an hour of near-silence, however, the door opened and a house elf poked his head in. "Professor Dumbledore, sir?"

"Yes, Binks?" asked Dumbledore, looking up from his work. "Please come in."

Binks came into the room, carrying a tray with tea and sandwiches. He looked at Cadance, who was looking at the floor. Binks looked back up at Dumbledore. "I thought perhaps that Miss Cadance would like something to eat," he said, holding up the tray. "Maybe it will make her feel better?"

"Yes, thank you, Binks," said Dumbledore. Binks nodded and placed the tray on Dumbledore desk and bowed out of the office. Dumbledore looked at Cadance. "Are you hungry?"

Cadance looked up at him and shook her head. "No, thank you," she said.

"I suppose it would be unnecessary for me to point out that you look distracted," said Dumbledore. Cadance nodded. "I've asked the house elves to prepare a room for you for the night."

"No," said Cadance. "Uncle Albus, I…" She trailed off, shaking her head.

"What is it?"

"You have enough to worry about without having to worry about me as well," said Cadance. "I got myself into this mess; I've got to try to get myself out."

* * *

Cadance Apparated outside of her flat and pulled out her keys. She stuck them in the lock and was surprised to find that the door was already unlocked. She froze and stared at the door knob for a second. She and Cati always put charms around the flat when nobody was in it so that nobody could Apparate directly inside while they were gone. However, she was certain she had locked the door behind her this morning.

The Aurors hadn't found Owen in Diagon Alley or Knockturn Alley. Had he come here? She pulled out her wand and opened the door. However, as soon as she got in, she breathed a sigh of relief. Charlie was sitting on the couch, looking at her over the newspaper with an eyebrow cocked. "Did you just stand outside of the door for a few seconds? I heard your key in the lock."

Of course, Cadance thought. Charlie knew that they hid the spare key under the plant down the hall. "Shouldn't you be at work?" she asked.

"Yeah, well…" he said, running his hand through his hair and getting to his feet. "I figured that since _you_ had the day off, maybe _I_ should take the day off because I don't think last night's talk really _counted_… I mean, we ended up comparing sex to mini-golf, when really sex is nothing like mini-golf. And, we both agreed that we should probably have a talk… What's wrong?" His face had suddenly grown concerned.

"What?" asked Cadance.

"What's wrong?" he repeated. "I know you and I can tell something's wrong. I got off about four whole sentences and didn't get interrupted _once_—and one of those sentences contained the words 'sex' and 'mini-golf' and I _know_ you've got at least three inappropriate comments thought up in response to _that_."

"Four. I just thought of another one," said Cadance, but without her usual spirit.

"Is it me?" asked Charlie. "Because I can leave. I don't want you to be… upset. You look upset."

Cadance looked at the floor, then said, "Owen kidnapped a little girl from Diagon Alley today to lure me into a trap and then he killed her and got away." The next thing she knew, she was sitting on the couch, crying quietly into the front of Charlie's robes.

"Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" asked Charlie, stroking her hair.

"No, I'm not hurt," said Cadance. "My uncle and Bob Reynolds showed up before he could stab me, but that little girl was already--" She couldn't bring herself to say 'dead'.

"Hey," said Charlie, pulling away and putting one hand on either side of her face. "It is _not_ your fault."

"Everyone keeps saying that," said Cadance. "But it's not true. I got her killed."

"What are you going to do now?" asked Charlie.

"I'm going to have to find Owen," said Cadance. "And when I do, I'll kill him."

"How are you going to do that?" asked Charlie.

Cadance pulled away and wiped her eyes. "He's going to lie low for a while," said Cadance, staring at the floor, thinking.

"Why?"

"I ruined his plans last week. He had intended on revealing his true self to me when we were on his turf, and there was no way for me to escape; I'm sure of this. But I found out about him first. He knows he was lucky that he made it out of that," said Cadance.

"Right," said Charlie, nodding. "Cati knew you were in trouble and she got there as fast as she could. The only reason she didn't vanquish him was because you said no."

"Exactly," said Cadance. "That's why he tried to corner me in Diagon Alley today. He knew Cati was gone."

"But you were there with your uncle," said Charlie. "Why would he attack you with your uncle so close? That was dumb."

"That's why he kidnapped the girl," said Cadance. "To separate me from my uncle. But then the minute Uncle Albus showed up, he ran. He's going to lie low for a while, because he knows my uncle will be keeping an eye on me, and an eye out for _him_."

"He's afraid," said Charlie, realizing where Cadance was going.

"Exactly," said Cadance. "He'll lie low for a while, and then he'll try something else. Hopefully I'll be able to kill him before he hurts someone else."

"Are you feeling better?" asked Charlie. "Should I make us some tea?"

"No, I'm fine," said Cadance.

"Do you want some time alone?"

"No," said Cadance, leaning into him. He put his arms around her again. "So what did you want to talk about?"

Charlie chuckled. "It was nothing. Don't worry about it," he said.

"Were you thinking about trying for a hole-in-one later?"

Charlie heaved a sigh and rolled his eyes towards the ceiling. "That was one of your four comments from earlier, wasn't it?"

"It's all in the hips, you know," deadpanned Cadance.

"So what do you want to do?" asked Charlie.

"I've got an idea," said Cadance. "And it's almost as exciting as mini-golf."

* * *

"You were right," called Charlie from the kitchen where he was making popcorn. "These Indiana Jones movies are really a lot better than I thought they would be."

"Hurry up, I want to start the third one," returned Cadance. Charlie dumped the popcorn into a bowl and carried it back out into the living room.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," said Charlie, putting the popcorn on the coffee table, and going up to the door. He opened it, and stepped aside as the Minister of Magic entered, a newspaper clutched in one hand and his lime green bowler in the other.

"Minister," said Cadance, getting to her feet, as Charlie closed the door. "I guess you heard about this afternoon."

"Of course I heard about this afternoon! By now half of England will have heard about it!" Fudge exclaimed, flustered.

"What are you talking about?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow at him.

Fudge threw the newspaper he was holding down on the coffee table. It was today's edition of the Evening Prophet. The Headline read "AUROR DUMBLEDORE BOTCHES RESCUE ATTEMPT". Cadance picked up the paper to read the article.

_Lieutenant Commander Cadance Dumbledore, niece of Hogwarts Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, interfered in a rescue today that resulted in the death of 11-year-old Cara Wendell, daughter of Edward Wendell of the Goblin Liaison Office in the Ministry._

_Witnesses report that Aurors were called in to respond to the disappearance of Wendell, and that Dumbledore appeared on the scene later, though she had not been called in. Sources in the Auror Department confirm that it was indeed Dumbledore's day off. Barely a half-hour after Dumbledore's appearance on the scene, the body of Cara Wendell was recovered in Knockturn Alley and Dumbledore was seen being escorted away by her uncle._

_An anonymous source overheard Dumbledore saying that the girl was killed by a demon. The demon in question had familiar relations with Dumbledore up until last week, implying that Cara Wendell was merely caught in the middle of a lover's spat and paid the ultimate price._

_Upon learning of the death of Wendell, shoppers in Diagon Alley began speculating that Dumbledore appeared on the scene after learning the identity of the kidnapper, and that her presence may have pushed the demon to murder Wendell._

_"Nobody really knows what happened Only three people were in that Alley and one of them is dead," said Lucius Malfoy, of the Board of Governors of Hogwarts, where Wendell would be attending as a 1__st__ Year this September. "The Governors of Hogwarts would like to extend their condolences to the Wendell family, and offer up assurances that they will be asking the Ministry to investigate the reason why an off-duty Auror was present, and if said Auror indeed had relations with this demon, why she wasn't immediately fired for her poor judgment." __**Continued on page 3**_

Cadance didn't bother to turn to page 3. She threw the newspaper down in disgust. "Minister, I swear I…" began Cadance, a hint of pleading in her voice.

"Save it, Dumbledore. You don't need to convince me of anything," said Fudge, shaking his head. "I may think you're irresponsible, unable to accept authority, and an all-around pain in my ass, but I don't believe you would have purposely done anything to cause the death of a little girl."

With the vote of confidence from her biggest non-supporter, Cadance felt worse than she had all day. However, she said, "Thank you."

"However, this makes the Ministry look bad," said Fudge. "We have to look like we're doing something."

"Like what?" asked Cadance.

"You're going to take a paid ten-day paid vacation," said Fudge. "We're spinning it as a suspension to the papers."

"Minister, I…" Cadance began to protest.

"Bob Reynolds is fielding angry owls as we speak," interrupted Fudge. "And it looks like you're getting some yourself." He nodded at the window where three large barn owls were hovering, waiting to be let in. "I'd advise you to ignore them. And get out of town for a while—that is an order." Without waiting for her response, he turned on his heel and marched out of the apartment, leaving Cadance and Charlie alone.

"Well, it looks like Owen isn't the only one who will be lying low for a while," said Cadance. She sighed.

"Where are you going to go?" asked Charlie.

"I don't know. Maybe I'll hop around a bit," said Cadance.

"By yourself?" asked Charlie. Cadance shrugged. "Damnit, Cadance, you shouldn't be alone when you're this upset. It's not healthy. You need some cheering up."

"Well, have you got a better idea?" asked Cadance, a little testily.

A grin spread across Charlie's face and he nodded. "The Burrow."


	13. The Burrow

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize as someone else's.

A/N: **Thanks to Whitelighter Enchantress who reviews EVERY CHAPTER!!! And thanks to my sister of course!**

* * *

It took Cadance less than half-an-hour to throw some clothes into a duffle bag and send owls off to her uncle and Drew telling them where she was going. Charlie left for the Burrow while Cadance was packing, but just as she was sending off the last owl, he Apparated back in.

"Mum said she'd be happy to have us for a few days," said Charlie.

"Us?" asked Cadance.

"Of course!" said Charlie. "Tomorrow's Saturday. I don't have to go back to work until Monday. I'll have to leave for work before everyone's up in the morning, but I'll be back earlier because of the time difference, so I'll be there all afternoon and evening."

"You do realize that even if we _weren't_ keeping the fact that we're having casual sex a secret, we couldn't have sex in your parents' house, right?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Give me more credit than that," said Charlie, rolling his eyes at her. "We _are_ friends, you know."

Cadance gave him a wry smile. "I know, Charlie."

"Are you ready to go then?" he asked. Cadance nodded. They walked through the front door to the flat, and Cadance locked the door behind them. Then they Apparated into the front yard of the Burrow. The sun was beginning to set. They crossed the yard and walked through the front door.

"Charlie, is that you?" called Mrs. Weasley's voice. "I'm in the kitchen!"

Cadance and Charlie walked into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was standing at the stove where a pot was stirring itself and knives were cutting up vegetables on their own. Ten-year-old Ginny was sitting at the table. "Hi, mum," said Charlie.

"Hi, Mrs. Weasley," said Cadance.

Mrs. Weasley smiled warmly at Cadance and pulled her into a hug. "How are you, dear?" she asked.

"I'm…" Cadance trailed off. She was about to say 'okay', but that didn't sound right to her, so she said, "I've been better."

"Well, I'm glad you've come here," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sit down and I'll get you some dinner. The kids have already eaten, but Arthur's not home from work yet."

"Hey, Ginny," said Charlie as they sat down at the table with her.

"Hi," responded Ginny, glumly.

"What's wrong, Gin?" asked Cadance.

"Oh, she's pouting because she can't go to Hogwarts this year," said Mrs. Weasley, heaving a sigh.

"But why can't I?" whined Ginny.

"Don't you dare start again, young lady. You're too young. You can go next year," said Mrs. Weasley in her I-really-mean-it voice. "Go upstairs and sit in your room until you've had an attitude adjustment."

"Then I'll be in there FOREVER!" exclaimed Ginny as she stomped up the stairs.

Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand and two bowls of steaming stew flew across the kitchen and landed in front of Charlie and Cadance, without spilling a drop. Just then the back door opened and Mr. Weasley strode into the kitchen. "Evening, Weasleys!" he called out. Suddenly, he saw Cadance and Charlie sitting at the table. "Oh! Hello!"

"Hi, Mr. Weasley," said Cadance, as Fred, George, Ron and Ginny all came thundering down the stairs to greet their father. Percy followed in a more dignified manner.

"Cadance!" exclaimed Fred. "What are you doing here?"

"Cadance and Charlie are going to stay with us for a few days," said Mrs. Weasley. "Cadance needs some cheering up."

"Ah. Yes, I saw the _Evening Prophet_," said Mr. Weasley.

"What's in the _Evening Prophet_?" asked George.

"Mind your business," snapped Mrs. Weasley, as another bowl of stew flew across the kitchen and landed on the other side of Cadance. Mr. Weasley sat down and started to eat.

"Dad, what kept you at the office so late?" asked Charlie, in an effort to change the subject.

"Flying carpets," said Mr. Weasley, heaving a sigh. "One turned up in a muggle house. We traced it back to an antique shop in Kent. The proprietor had _three more_. Says some bloke came in two days before and sold them to him. Luckily, magic carpets only work when they're laid out flat, and he had them rolled up."

"Do you think they turned up there accidentally?" asked Cadance.

"Who knows?" said Mr. Weasley. "Could be someone's idea of a trick, selling flying carpets to a muggle. Or they could have genuinely not known what they were. The proprietor said that the bloke he bought them off of said that they belonged to his grandfather, who had just passed away. That could have been a cover story though. Either way, the investigation goes to the Aurors now."

"How long are you two staying?" asked Percy.

"A few days," answered Cadance.

"What do you need cheering up for then?" asked George.

"_George_," admonished Mr. Weasley.

"Mr. Weasley, they're going to find out anyway," interrupted Cadance. "Fred nicked the _Evening Prophet_ out of the bin half-a-minute after you mentioned it."

"How did you see that?!" asked Fred incredulously, as he was standing behind Cadance.

"Never you mind," said Cadance.

"So why do you need cheering up?" repeated George.

"I… made a mistake—several mistakes," said Cadance, slowly. "I was dating this guy who turned out to be a demon, and instead of vanquishing him, I let him go. Today, he…" She looked to Charlie instinctively.

Charlie put a hand on her back supportively and finished for her. "He killed a little girl today. But it wasn't Cadance's fault." He looked emphatically at her as he said the last part.

"You know what I bet would cheer you up?" asked Fred. "Potions homework"

"Yeah, and Fred and I would like to donate ours to the cause," added George.

"_Fred! George!_" said Mrs. Weasley in a threatening tone. "How I _ever_ could have raised such inconsiderate boys, I will _never_ know!"

But Cadance had cracked a smile, and Charlie turned to her and said, "This is going to be a fun week."

* * *

Cadance woke up the next morning to the smell of bacon frying. She sat up and looked around the room. Mrs. Weasley had set up a cot for her in Ginny's room. Ginny's bed was empty. Cadance got up and quickly dressed, before going downstairs.

"Good morning, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, standing at the stove, as Cadance walked into the kitchen. All of the Weasleys were already sitting at the table, waiting for breakfast.

"Good morning," said Cadance, smiling. "Did the _Daily_ _Prophet_ come?"

Fred opened his mouth as though about to say something, but his father shot him a look and shook his head and Fred immediately closed it again. Charlie shifted guiltily in his chair a little. "Alright, where is it?" asked Cadance, holding her hand out.

"You don't need to see it," said Charlie, shaking his head.

"Percy, please give me the newspaper," said Cadance, locking eyes with him. Percy looked at his father, who sighed and nodded. He pulled the _Daily Prophet_ out from underneath the cushion on his chair and handed it to her.

"Right again! That's amazing!" exclaimed Fred. "How do you do it?"

Cadance looked down at the paper in her hands as she sat down in an empty chair in between Ginny and Charlie. Her own unsmiling picture was looking back up at her, with the headline "AUROR SUSPENDED". The information was the same as the night before, except they added a few paragraphs explaining that a Ministry spokesperson said the evening before that Cadance Dumbledore would not be in the office for the next 10 days because of the incident. There were also a few more quotes from Lucius Malfoy, calling for an investigation.

"I expected this," said Cadance with a sigh, folding the paper up and handing it back to Percy.

"I noticed they didn't mention the fact that the demon in question was a _Daily Prophet_ employee," said Charlie.

"He could have been lying about that," suggested Cadance. "He was lying about everything else."

"That's enough talk about unpleasant things until breakfast is over," said Mrs. Weasley, guiding plates full of breakfast food to the table. Everyone began loading up their plates with toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon.

"Yeah, it's time to focus on the positive," said Fred, pointing his fork at Cadance. "You're now free to play the field."

"You look radiant," added George.

"You'll be able to find another boyfriend in no time," said Fred, ticking their list off on his fingers.

"And let's not forget that you're an Auror and that's basically the coolest job you can have," said George.

"Uh, excuse me," said Charlie, holding up his fork. "I work with dragons. That's pretty cool."

"Charlie, _she_ gets to catch dark wizards," said George. "You are effectively a pet-sitter on a larger scale."

"Her job isn't really that exciting, you know!" argued Charlie. "She spends most of her time sitting behind a desk making a rubber band ball with Cati! _I_ have to dodge claws, and spiked tails, and fire breath all day!"

"Yeah, okay, if a dark wizard walks into this kitchen _right now_, who do you think we're better off calling? The girl with a license to use Unforgivable Curses or the guy with the singed eyebrows?" asked Fred. Charlie wrinkled his nose and unconsciously raised a hand to his eyebrows. Cadance stifled a laugh in her glass of orange juice.

"Fred, George, knock it off right now," said Mrs. Weasley, narrowing her eyes at them. "And I want that summer homework finished up _today_."

"Honestly, mum, we'll just finish it up when we get to school!" argued Fred.

"Yeah, that way we can talk with Lee and Angelina and everyone else and compare answers," added George.

"You are _not_ copying your classmate's work!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly. "Arthur, help me out here!"

"Your mother's right, boys," said Mr. Weasley, without looking up from the _Daily Prophet_, which he was now perusing.

"It's not _copying_. It's _sharing_," insisted Fred. "Everyone does it!"

"Not _Percy_," said Mrs. Weasley. "He's already got all his work done! _That_ is how you become a Prefect, boys!"

"Are you a Prefect, Perce?" asked Fred, mockingly incredulous.

"Why didn't you say something?" asked George, matching his tone, as he stood up and leaned over the table to shake hands with Percy. Percy pulled his hand away and tossed a biscuit at George.

"_Really_," said Mrs. Weasley. "You're not setting a very good example for Ron and Ginny!"

"Mum, if you were worried about a good example being set, you really shouldn't have invited Cadance to stay for a few days," said George. "She was the one who taught us…"

He was interrupted as Cadance and Charlie began coughing in a distracting sort of way, then George felt a sharp kick under the table. He yelped in pain. Cadance cleared her throat and then took a sip of her orange juice, winking at Ginny and Ron over her glass as she did so.

The rest of the breakfast was finished quite peacefully, mainly because Fred and George kept quiet because they knew they were dangerously close to being on their mother's bad side. When everyone finished, Cadance and Mrs. Weasley directed the dishes to the sink with their wands. With another flick of Mrs. Weasley's wand, the sponge started to scrub the dishes on its own.

The rest of the weekend passed quickly. Cadance and Charlie spent Saturday afternoon playing two-on-two Quidditch with Fred and George and Saturday evening entertaining Ron and Ginny with stories of Hogwarts, while Percy silently expressed his disapproval of their shenanigans. Sunday was very rainy, so they helped Fred and George get started on their Potions homework, which it turned out they hadn't even started.

On Sunday night, Cadance and Charlie were alone in the living room after the other Weasley children went up to bed around eleven o'clock. The two of them were lounging lazily on the couch while Cadance flipped casually through Ron's Transfiguration Book. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the kitchen, and Cadance and Charlie could hear the wireless faintly.

"I told you this was a good idea," said Charlie, looking at Cadance.

Cadance chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Too bad you have to go to work tomorrow," said Cadance.

"Don't rub it in," said Charlie, wrinkling his nose. "9:30 in Romania is _7:30_ here, so I'm going to have to get up early."

"Yes, but you'll get back around 3:00," said Cadance.

"That's true," said Charlie nodding. "What will you do all day?"

"Well, your mother is going to visit her Aunt Muriel," said Cadance. "So I guess its just going to be me and the kids here all day."

"I hope the house is still standing when I get back," said Charlie solemnly.

"Me, too," said Cadance, suppressing a yawn.

"Tired?" asked Charlie.

Cadance nodded and shifted her weight a little, so that she was leaning up against him. He slipped his arm around her shoulders. She let out a small sigh.

"Something wrong?" Charlie asked. "You're kind of quiet."

"I'm fine," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"You're thinking about what happened the other day," said Charlie, more of a statement than a question.

There was a pause, and then Cadance said, "I was _so close_ to her, Charlie. I should have been able to save her. He never should have been able to…" She trailed off and raised a hand to cover her face.

"Hey," said Charlie, moving her hand away from her face. He slipped his index finger under her chin and tilted her face up at him. "You did the best you could."

"You weren't there. You don't know…"

"But you were there, and I know _you_," interrupted Charlie. "You're a good person, Cadance. Everyone makes mistakes. Sometimes bad things happen; you know that better than anyone I know, and it's not fair. You can't beat yourself up about it forever."

Cadance nodded. "You're right. It's just hard."

"I know," said Charlie. She put her head down on his shoulder and they were quiet for a long time.

* * *

In the kitchen, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had Friday's _Evening Prophet_ and Saturday and Sunday's _Daily_ _Prophet_ spread on the table in front of them.

"Rita Skeeter really is a bit out of hand," said Mrs. Weasley, frowning. That morning she had written another article, with more quotes from Lucius Malfoy, who appeared to be an authority on the subject of Cadance's past transgressions.

"'_Attempts to contact Miss Dumbledore were to no avail. She appears disinterested in responding to the allegations made against her_,'" read Mr. Weasley aloud. He added sarcastically, "I'm sure Skeeter was trying really hard to get in touch with her."

"Maybe we should show this to Cadance," said Mrs. Weasley, who had hid the paper after it arrived that morning. "That way she could go down to the Daily Prophet and _respond_ to Skeeter…"

"Trust me, dear, you don't want her responding to Skeeter," said Mr. Weasley, shaking his head. "She'd do it with her wand. Actually, we're incredibly lucky Cati's out of town this week for all this, or the _Prophet_'_s_ offices would be in complete shambles."

Just then, the fire in the fireplace glowed green, and Minerva McGonagall's head appeared in it. "Professor McGonagall!" said Mr. Weasley, surprised. He got up and walked around to the other side of the table to see her better.

"Hello, Arthur," said McGonagall quickly. "Are all the kids in bed?"

"Er, the young ones, yes," said Mr. Weasley, nodding. There was a puff of smoke, and then the rest of Professor McGonagall's body appeared, climbing out of the fireplace. Professor Dumbledore climbed out behind here.

"Pardon the interruption, Molly, Arthur," said Dumbledore.

"Don't be silly, Professor Dumbledore. Shall I put on a pot of tea?" asked Molly.

"No, that won't be necessary. We won't be staying long," said Dumbledore. "We actually just came to check on Cadance."

"She and Charlie are in the living room," said Mr. Weasley.

"Doing a bit of light reading?" asked McGonagall, peering over the newspapers laid out on the table.

"Nothing like a little bit of fiction before bed," said Mr. Weasley. "Just so you know, Molly hid the paper this morning before Cadance could see it."

"Things should quiet down in the _Prophet_ soon," said Dumbledore. "They'll run out of material and move on to the next thing. And I sincerely hope for their own sake that they do it before Cati returns from her mission. No, what concerns me most is the fact that Owen is still out there and that Cadance is likely enough to try something foolhardy to find him and try to vanquish him."

"I don't think she'll try to plan anything while she's here," said Mr. Weasley. "Molly's got an eye for plots. It comes from raising the twins."

"I told you," said McGonagall, looking pointedly at Dumbledore.

"Well, thank you for letting her stay here," said Dumbledore.

"Oh, she's really no trouble at all," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling.

McGonagall blinked. "Are we talking about the same Cadance?"

"Minerva," admonished Dumbledore. He turned back to the Weasleys. "I'd like to see my niece for a second before we leave."

"Of course," said Mr. Weasley. "They're right in here." He led the way into the living room.

Cadance and Charlie were curled up on the couch, sleeping. Cadance had her head on Charlie's chest, and he his arms around her. "Oh," said Mrs. Weasley. "Should we wake them?"

"No," said Dumbledore, smiling and shaking his head. "Let them sleep. I have the feeling it's been a very long weekend." He and Arthur returned to the kitchen. McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley hung back for a second, looking down at the scene before them.

"Do you think…?" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, cocking an eyebrow at McGonagall.

"That's a good question." She took out her wand and flicked it at a blanket lying on the chair, and it flew across the room, unfolded itself, and covered the two sleeping young adults. They didn't even stir.

* * *

"I believe our bet was 7 galleons," said Dumbledore, as he emerged from the fireplace in his office. McGonagall was already brushing herself off and she looked sharply up at him.

"Excuse me?" she asked.

"Cadance and Charlie," said Dumbledore. "Cadance's 4th year, when Charlie pummeled that boy for… what was the phrase they used?... 'putting the moves' on Cadance. I believe we made a bet."

"Yes, _I_ said that they wouldn't start dating for another 10 years and you said that they would sooner than that," said McGonagall. "A nap on the couch doesn't count."

"Were you looking at the same thing I was? That wasn't just a nap on the couch," argued Dumbledore.

"Prove it," said McGonagall. "Look, when they're dating, _we'll know_."

"How?" asked Dumbledore. "What if they're secretly dating?"

"They can't secretly date. Cati will find out and then she'll let it slip to Severus, who will rush right up here and tell us," said McGonagall. "Or Bill will find out and tell Molly and Arthur, and _they'll _tell us." She turned on her heel and started for the door.

"Where are you going?" asked Dumbledore.

She paused at the door, and turned around. "Privet Drive. I'm going to tell Arabella."

"If they're not dating, you don't have anything to say," he said to her retreating back. No response, as she started down the spiral staircase. "Minerva? Minerva, if you believe there's _something_ you can't, in good faith, say that I didn't win the bet yet!"

"Five-and-a-half more years, Albus!" she shouted, her voice echoing up the stairwell.

* * *

The next morning, Cadance woke up on the couch. Charlie was already gone, but there was a note on the coffee table.

_See you around three o'clock._

Cadance looked at her watch. 8:00. Charlie was already at work. She ran upstairs and changed. When she came back down, Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen, getting breakfast started.

"Good morning, dear," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Morning," said Cadance, sitting at the table.

"Your uncle stopped by last night with Professor McGonagall," said Mrs. Weasley. "You and Charlie were asleep. He said not to wake you."

"Oh," said Cadance. "Did he leave any message for me?"

"Yes, he said to tell you he would stop by later on tonight," said Mrs. Weasley.

"Do you know what he wanted?" asked Cadance.

"He didn't say," answered Mrs. Weasley. "He probably just wanted to check on you."

"That wasn't it," said Cadance. "He knows you'd let him know if something was wrong."

"That doesn't mean he doesn't want to check on you," said Mrs. Weasley. Cadance shrugged.

Suddenly Mr. Weasley came into the kitchen tying his tie. "Morning, ladies," he said.

"Morning, Arthur."

"Good Morning, Mr. Weasley," said Cadance.

"Did Charlie leave already?" asked Mr. Weasley, sitting at the table. Mrs. Weasley put a mug of coffee in front of him.

"Yes, he did," answered Mrs. Weasley. "Breakfast will be ready in about five minutes."

"Sorry, dear, but there's no time," said Mr. Weasley, shaking his head. He paused to take a long drink of his coffee. "I have to go in a little early to get to deal with this flying carpet thing. I have to meet with Bob Reynolds to brief him on what I know so that the Aurors can investigate. I may be home late, depending on if they find something today."

"Oh," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe I should send an owl off to Aunt Muriel and tell her I won't be coming today. I don't want to make Cadance watch the kids for that long."

"I don't mind," spoke up Cadance. "Charlie will be home around 3:00, anyway. Plus, Percy will be here."

"Yes, but so will Fred and George," said Mrs. Weasley pointedly.

"Trust me, I can handle them," said Cadance, very sincerely.

"Are you sure?" asked Mrs. Weasley.

"I'm positive."

* * *

"Come on, Cadance!" whined Fred, as he sat at the kitchen table with his Potions book open in front of him, and his half-finished homework spread out next to it. George sat opposite him with his homework as well.

"_No_, George!" argued Cadance, as she cleared away the lunch plates and piled them in the sink.

"I'm Fred!"

"_I_ know that," said Cadance. "I was pre-empting George's protest."

"Yeah, right," said George, rolling his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but you're not allowed to use magic over the summer holidays," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"That's why we're asking _you_ to do it!" argued Fred.

"No, I'm sorry, you're just going to have to figure out what all of those ingredients do by using your _extensive knowledge of potions_, rather than by watching me mix them together," said Cadance. "The assignment is supposed to test your knowledge of _how _different ingredients work in a potion. It's cheating if you mix it together to see how it works."

Fred and George exchanged a look, and then George broke into a grin. "You don't now what would happen if we mixed these ingredients together!" he shouted accusingly.

"Excuse me?" asked Cadance.

"Some of this stuff is volatile and you're afraid you'll blow up the kitchen, because you don't know which ones _not_ to mix!" exclaimed Fred, hopping up and pointing at her.

"That's not true," said Cadance, waving her hand at them dismissively.

"Dishonesty is not an attractive quality on you," said George, shaking his head.

"Don't listen to them, Cadance. They're just trying to trick you into doing it," said Ginny, throwing a dirty look at the twins.

Cadance winked at Ginny, then turned to Fred and George and said, "You're lucky Percy is upstairs, or he'd tell your mother that you're trying to goad me into doing your potions homework for you."

Fred mumbled something under his breath and he and George went back to their Potions work, quietly for a while. Ron sat at the table across from Ginny, playing Wizard's Chess. Cadance, once she finished clearing the dishes, sat down next to Ginny and offered her suggestions for moves from time to time. Ron still beat her pretty soundly.

"Damn, Ron," said Cadance, shaking her head. "How did you get so good at chess? Bill and Charlie are both _awful_."

"There's not much to do around here all day when everyone's at school," said Ron. At the mention of Hogwarts, Ginny made a face. She put her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands.

"I want to go, too," said Ginny, sulkily.

"Aw, Gin'," said Cadance, putting a hand on her shoulder. "A year really isn't so long a time to wait."

"Yeah, you'll be there before you know it," said Ron.

"Yeah right," said Ginny. "_You_ said last year was the longest year of your life!"

"Yeah, but… it was quick," said Ron, unconvincingly.

"Hogwarts isn't all fun and games!" said George, to Ginny. "Just look at us! You can be doing _anything_ you want right now, and we're sitting here doing _Potions_ homework! It's just awful!"

"Yeah, it's really not all that great," said Cadance, nodding her head.

"But you don't mean that, do you?" asked Ginny, in a tone that implied she was smarter than she looked.

"Not at all," said Cadance, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. Hogwarts is the greatest. It was the best nine years of my life."

"I thought it was only seven years," said Ginny, wrinkling her nose in confusion.

"It is," said Cadance. "Cati Nuperson and I moved in two years before we started…" She trailed off as she noticed the look on Ginny's face, and the wild 'stop' hand-motions that Fred and George were making.

"You can go early?!" exclaimed Ginny, excitedly.

"Well, no, not exactly," said Cadance, wrinkling her nose. "Only when your legal guardian is the Headmaster, really." Ginny slumped in her seat, and a scowl crossed her face.

"Smooth, Cadance," said Fred.

Cadance raised her wand, and gave it a casual flick. Suddenly Fred's hand flew to his nose, and he ran out of the kitchen, cursing. "What was that?" asked George, cocking an eyebrow in confusion.

"Bat-bogey hex," said Cadance casually. She turned to Ginny and held up her wand. "That's something you won't learn at Hogwarts." She winked at her.

"Then where did you learn it?" asked Ginny, giggling.

"Around," said Cadance, evasively. "I'll make a deal with you. If you don't give your mother a hard time about Hogwarts anymore, you can send me an owl whenever you're bored and I will send you a new spell for you to try out as soon as you get to Hogwarts."

"Deal," said Ginny, holding out her hand. Cadance shook it, to seal their deal.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go shrink Fred's boogers."

* * *

After Cadance reversed the hex, and Fred's boogers stopped attacking him, they all moved into the living room, where Percy finally joined them. Fred and George finished their Potions work and moved on to finish their Transfiguration essays. Ron, Percy, Ginny, and Cadance started a game of Exploding Snap.

"Charlie should be home soon," said Cadance, glancing at the clock on the mantel.

"Hey, Cadance, what are some of the characteristics of Animagi when they're in their animal form?" asked Fred, glancing up from his essay.

"Do your own homework," said Cadance, throwing some cards down into the center pile. "I already passed my 3rd Year of Hogwarts; I'm not going to pass yours, too."

"I'm not asking you to do our homework. I'm asking you to maybe _show_ us…" began George.

"I'm also _not_ a parlor trick," interrupted Cadance, rolling her eyes at them.

"What?" asked Ginny.

"Don't worry about it," said Cadance.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "I'll get it," said Ginny, hopping up and going out into the hallway.

"You know, this essay would be so much easier if we had some _visuals_," said George, not subtly.

"Why do you have to do that?" asked Cadance. "You_ cannot_ guilt me into turning into a Phoenix in the middle of the living room."

"But…" George began to argue, but Ginny's voice from the hallway interrupted him.

"Cadance, it's for you!" exclaimed Ginny.

"Who knows that you're here?" asked Fred, cocking an eyebrow.

"My boss, I guess," said Cadance, getting to her feet and shrugging. She walked into the hallway and froze.

Ginny was standing at the front door, talking to Owen, who was standing in the doorway.

It took Cadance less than a second to recover. "GINNY, MOVE!" she exclaimed. Ginny and Owen's heads snapped over to her. In that instant, Cadance drew her wand and pointed it at Owen. He staggered backwards, pushed by an unspoken spell, and the door slammed shut in his face. He began pounding on the door.

"What…?" began Ginny. Cadance grabbed her arm and dragged her to the living room, where Fred, George, and Percy were all on their feet, having heard Cadance scream.

"Kitchen," said Cadance, ushering them in front of her into the kitchen.

"What's going on?" asked Percy.

"Look, I want you to run out back, and into the grove of trees, and keep an eye on the back door. If I don't come out in 10 minutes, or a man comes out before me, I want you to run down the street to the village and start using magic," said Cadance, quickly.

"But, we're not allowed…" protested Percy.

"You have my permission to use whatever spells come to mind," said Cadance. "I _need_ the Ministry to come. Send them to the house." She pulled out her pocket watch and handed it to Ginny, who looked positively frightened. "Keep an eye on the time. Ten minutes."

Before they could ask any more questions, there was a loud thud from the direction of the front door, and Owen's voice called out, "You can't run, Cadance!"

"Go!" shouted Cadance, pointing her wand at the back door, and it banged open. The four young Weasleys ran out back and Cadance slammed the door behind them just as Owen made it into the living room.

"Knocking on the front door," said Cadance, nodding her head. "That was good. I didn't expect that. Not even from you." She and Owen began circling each other, the kitchen table in between them.

"I figured your reflexes would kick in if I just materialized in the living room," said Owen, a sadistic grin playing on his face.

"I hope you don't think I'm going to take a passive stance to this situation anymore," said Cadance.

"It would disappoint me if you did," said Owen.

Cadance threw her hip into the side of the table, pushing it into Owen, before he realized what had happened. He reached down and grabbed the edge of the table, wincing in pain. Cadance took advantage of the momentary distraction by grabbing a cutting knife off the counter behind her and whipping it at him. He managed to duck it just in time, as the knife hit the wall right behind where his head had been.

"Nice try," said Owen. He moved quickly around the table and started for Cadance, but she raised her wand and pointed it at his face. At that same instant, Owen whipped a wand out from inside his robes. "I got a new wand. I took it from that little girl on Friday. After today, I'll have another new one."

Cadance swung her wand up over her head and then brought it back down. Sparks flew, and then Owen was thrown backwards, into the kitchen table, dropping his wand in the process. Cadance held out her hand, and the knife in the wall flew into her outstretched hand. "You should have laid low for a while," said Cadance, advancing forward wielding the knife. "That's what I thought you would do."

"I was planning on it," said Owen, eyeing her up as she started forward. "But things changed, and I decided I had to make my move." She made to stab him, but he grabbed her arm and swung her around, so that her back was now to the table. He pushed her into it, and grabbed her other wrist, with his other hand, before she could point her wand at him. He forced her arm out to the side, rendering her wand useless. They continued to struggle for the knife.

"What changed?" asked Cadance, her teeth clenched. Owen applied pressure on Cadance's wrists at just the right spots, causing her to drop her wand and the knife at the same time. He forced her hands in front of her and put his face close to hers.

"Cati's back," hissed Owen. Cadance stopped struggling in surprise and looked at him curiously.

Suddenly, there was a loud _bang_ and Owen let go of Cadance and screamed in pain. Cadance dove to the floor and grabbed her wand, then got to her feet, pointing her wand at Owen, who had also retrieved his wand, and was pointing it at her. She looked up to see who had fired the spell at Owen, and expected to see an Auror, maybe Bob Reynolds himself. She was wrong. Charlie was standing in the doorway, his wand outstretched. Owen was positioned in between them.

"Are you okay, Cadance?" asked Charlie.

"Peachy," answered Cadance.

"Where are my brothers and sister?" he asked.

"Safe." Charlie nodded, trusting her.

Suddenly, Owen, who had been looking back and forth between them while keeping his wand pointed at Cadance, let out a cruel, amused laugh.

"What the hell is so funny?" asked Cadance.

"You little whore," he said. "It's been less than two weeks since we broke up and already you're sleeping with someone else."

The effect of the statement was exactly what he needed. Both Cadance and Charlie took their eyes off of him and looked at each other. Owen took advantage of their momentary distraction to fire a spell at Cadance. "_Expelliarmus!_" he shouted. Cadance's wand flew out of her hand. Without taking his wand off of Cadance, he turned his head to Charlie. "Drop your wand, or I'll kill her."

"Don't listen to him, Charlie," said Cadance, shaking her head vehemently. "He needs me alive to get my powers, and I'm not giving them to him anyway."

"You don't think I've thought of something to fix that?" asked Owen, cocking his eyebrow. With his free hand he reached into his robes and pulled out an ancient-looking knife with strange marks along the handle. "I went to see a Hag, and she turned me onto one of these. All I have to do is stab you with it, and it traps your powers. So, Charlie… your wand?"

"Don't do it," said Cadance, emphatically, looking at him as though willing him to listen to her.

"I don't know if you read the papers or not, Charlie, but I'm capable of killing, unlike your new love-muffin here," said Owen, still looking at Charlie. "And, Cadance, don't think I can't see you inching towards that knife." Cadance froze. Her foot had been inching closer to the knife. She knew she couldn't use her sorceress powers to summon it to her, because Owen could probably fire a spell faster.

"Owen, let him leave, and then you and I can try to kill each other like civilized adults," said Cadance.

"Charlie, drop your wand _now_," said Owen, ignoring Cadance. Charlie hesitated and looked to Cadance again. Owen shook his head. "_Crucio_," he hissed, and Cadance dropped to her knees and screamed in pain.

"Okay!" exclaimed Charlie, dropping his wand and putting his hands up. "Stop it!" Owen lifted the curse, and turned his wand to Charlie. He made a slashing motion with his wand and Charlie collapsed unconscious, as Cadance gasped for breath on the floor.

"The fool. He should have listened to you," said Owen, looking down his nose at Cadance, who as looking murderously up at him, while clutching her chest and shaking slightly. He pointed his wand squarely between her eyes. He was still holding the power-trapping knife in his other hand. "We can do this the hard way or the easy way. Only one way keeps you alive, Ms. Dumbledore. Your powers, please."

Cadance's gaze fell to the floor. She noticed the knife she had dropped out of the corner of her eye. Without thinking, she reached out and snatched it. Before Owen could react, she whipped it at him. It grazed his wrist, and he dropped his knife, as Cadance got to her feet and made a move to try to get around Owen to Charlie. But Owen recovered too quickly and slung his uninjured arm around Cadance's upper-chest and pulled her into him, angling his wrist so that his wand was in her face. He held his bleeding wrist out to the side. Cadance grasped his forearm and struggled against his grasp.

"I would not have done that if I was you," Owen hissed in her ear, as his eyes scanned the floor for his knife. He and Cadance spotted it at the same time. She squinted her eyes at it and, magically, it slid across the floor and into the living room.

"Bet you didn't know I could do that without my hands, did you?" taunted Cadance. "You're getting blood all over Mrs. Weasley's clean floor." She squinted at a dishtowel sitting on the counter and it flew into Owen's face. He roared in anger, as Cadance used the distraction to break free. Owen ripped the towel off his head and pointed his wand at Cadance before she had taken more than two steps away from him.

"No!" exclaimed Owen angrily, waving his wand at her.

A jet of purple light hit Cadance square on the side and she jettisoned through the air. She felt a sharp pain, heard glass shattering, and then hit the ground with a thud, knocking the wind out of her. For a second she thought she must have hit her head harder than it felt because the kitchen ceiling looked blue—then she realized she was staring at the sky. She had gone through the window. She quickly got to her feet, fighting off the pain she was feeling. She staggered a little as she moved to the back door.

"Cadance!" someone called from behind her.

She turned around, and saw the twins coming out from the grove of trees. "Get back!" she exclaimed, waving them off. She turned back to the door and walked in.

Owen was coming back into the kitchen from the living room, having gone in there to retrieve his knife, which was clutched in his injured hand, his wand in the other. He stepped over Charlie's still-unconscious form and swung the knife in front of him. Cadance hopped back in order to avoid being sliced. She pointed her finger at him and he went flying backwards, once again, into the wall. Cadance held her hand out in front of her and her wand, still on the floor, came flying into her hand. Owen hopped to his feet, and the two of them froze, their wands pointed at each other's faces.

"It was stupid for you to have come here," said Cadance. "It would have been better to attack me when I was alone."

"Look around, dear," said Owen. "You _are_ alone."

"No," said Cadance, shaking her head, an uncharacteristic sneer creeping across her face. "You brought the Weasleys into this and you hurt Charlie. What better motivation do I need to kill you?"

There was a pause, then suddenly, through the broken window, came a series of sparks and explosions, accompanied by whistles and booms. Owen's head snapped to the window. Cadance took advantage of the distraction and raised her wand over her head. She brought it down, and a jet of green light flew out of it, hitting Owen squarely in the chest. There was a burst of flames were Owen was standing and suddenly he disappeared, leaving a pile of ashes and a wand where he was standing.

Cadance didn't waste any time. She turned around and rushed to Charlie's side, as Fred and George came running in the back door. "Did you get him?" they asked at the same time.

"Nice fireworks, boys," said Cadance as she passed them. She dropped on her knees next to Charlie. She grabbed the front of his robes and shook him. "Come on, Charlie," she said. She felt for a pulse and slapped the side of his face gently.

"What happened to him?" asked Fred.

Cadance shook her head, not knowing what non-verbal curse Owen had used. She looked down at her hands and saw that they were covered in blood. "Blood," she said, staring at them. She looked down and saw there was blood on Charlie's face and chest. "Oh God, what did Owen do?"

"Cadance," said George. "That's not Charlie's blood; it's yours."

Just then, the front door burst open. "Cadance!" exclaimed a familiar voice.

"In the kitchen! Quick!" exclaimed Cadance. A second later, Bob Reynolds came running in with Percy, Ron, and Ginny close behind.

"What the hell…?" he asked, looking down at her.

"I don't know what curse Owen used," said Cadance, looking up at him, her eyes pleading.

"What happened to you?" asked Bob, dropping to his knees next to Cadance.

"Guess!" snapped Cadance.

"What happened to _him_?"

"A curse. I don't know which one," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Alright, help me get him up," said Bob. "We're going to St. Mungo's." He lifted Charlie from the shoulders and Cadance helped. He slung one of Charlie's arms over his shoulders and supported his dead weight with Cadance's help

"Percy, grab the Floo Powder," said Cadance, struggling under Charlie's weight. "All of you meet us at St. Mungo's." And with that, Cadance and Bob Apparated out on the spot.


	14. The Aftermath

Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognize as someone else's.

A/N: I beg you, review.

* * *

Cadance and Bob, supporting Charlie between them, Apparated into the Emergency Room of St. Mungo's Hospital. Immediately, two Healers in lime-green robes rushed over to them, conjuring up a stretcher from mid-air. They magicked Charlie onto it as one asked, "What happened?"

"A curse," said Cadance. "I don't know which one." The Healers started down the hallway.

Bob Reynolds pointed after them. "Follow them and explain what happened. I'll go get the Weasley kids." Cadance nodded and rushed to catch up with the Healers.

"What happened after he was hit by the curse?" asked one of the Healers.

"He just fell, I think," said Cadance.

"Did it hit him dead-on, or did it just graze him?" asked the other.

"Dead-on," answered Cadance. They reached a set of double-doors.

"You're going to have to wait here," said the first Healer, stopping just outside of the doors as the second continued in with Charlie. He indicated to a small waiting-area off to the side.

"No, I'm coming," insisted Cadance.

"Ma'am, you're going to have to wait here," he repeated firmly.

"_No_," said Cadance. "Please…"

"I'm sorry," he said, shaking his head.

"No!" exclaimed Cadance, her frustration showing. She punctuated the sentence by gesturing angrily with her hand, and the door behind the Healer burst open magically, whacking him in the back of the head. He yelped in pain. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean…"

"Ma'am, just calm down and take a seat," said the Healer, rubbing the back of his head. "I'll send someone out to administer medical attention."

Cadance started to protest, but he ignored her and disappeared through the double-doors. She glanced at the plaque on the wall next to them. Emergency Spell Damage.

"Cadance?" came a familiar voice. Cadance turned around to see Matt walking up the hallway. He was wearing the purple robes of Healers-in-training. His eyes flickered from the cuts on her face, to the blood all over the front of her robes. "What are you doing here? Why are you covered in blood?" He pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and pressed it to her neck, which was bleeding.

"Charlie's back there," she said, pointing at the double-doors. "Owen hit him with a curse."

"And what happened to you?" he asked. "Your neck…"

"I guess he grazed me with the knife, but I didn't notice," said Cadance. "And he threw me through the window."

"Come on," he said, grabbing her arm and guiding her to the waiting area. He directed her to a chair.

"I want to go back there with Charlie," she said.

"Only family is allowed back there," he said, shaking his head. "They'd kick you out."

"His brothers and sister are on the way," said Cadance.

"They won't be allowed either; they're too young," said Matt. He grabbed her hand and pressed it to the handkerchief on her neck. "Hold this. I'm going to see if I can find anything out for you, and get some things to clean up that cut."

"The Healers said they're sending someone out for that," said Cadance as he stood up.

"I'll take care of it." He disappeared through the double-doors as well.

Cadance heaved a sigh and leaned back into the seat of the chair. After about a minute, though it seemed like an eternity, Bob came down the hallway with the five youngest Weasleys right behind him.

"Well, what did they say?" asked Fred, hurriedly.

"That we're not allowed through those doors," said Cadance, pointing in the direction of the land of no admittance. "Matt is going to see if he can find anything out."

"Who's Matt?" asked Ron.

"Cati's boyfriend," answered Cadance.

"What's he doing here?" asked Bob, looking at her questioningly.

"He's a Trainee Healer," answered Cadance.

"Is he really? Wow. Does her uncle know that?" Bob wondered aloud. Cadance shot him a look. "Er—never mind."

Just then Matt came back through the double-doors, holding rags, gauze and a tube of cream. He paused for a second to take in the newcomers. He nodded at Bob, who nodded back. "I take it these are the younger Weasleys?" asked Matt.

"What gave it away?" asked Cadance sarcastically as Matt sat down next to her and pulled the handkerchief away from her neck.

"You're lucky. This doesn't look too deep," he said. He started cleaning it with a wet rag. Cadance flinched.

"How's Charlie?" she asked.

"I didn't go ask. I just told you I was going to so that you would sit down while I ran back there to get some stuff to clean you up with," said Matt.

"What?!" exclaimed Cadance. Matt jumped a little.

"Dude… nice one," said Bob, nodding appreciatively.

"I'm a Trainee Healer and I'm not on the emergency shift, Cadance. They're not going to appreciate me barging into the emergency room and asking them what's wrong with their patient," said Matt, putting a bandage on her neck. He turned his attention to the cuts on her face.

"Can't one of us go back there with him?" asked Percy.

"You're too young," said Matt. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to break hospital policy."

"I have to go get Mr. and Mrs. Weasley," said Cadance, standing up. Bob put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back into the seat.

"I already told the nurse at the front desk," said Bob. "She's sending someone to the Ministry and to Mrs. Weasley's aunt's house. Mr. Weasley is actually out of the office because of a flying carpet issue. Drew is the Auror with him. The Ministry will find them and send him here."

"Are you ready to tell us what exactly happened?" asked Matt.

"Is this really the time?" asked Cadance.

"I'm going to need to know for the official report," said Bob. Cadance shot him an exasperated look. "Don't look at me like that. You sent an underage wizard into a pack of muggles to attract Ministry attention. Of course there's going to be an official report."

Cadance heaved a sigh. "Owen rang the doorbell. Ginny answered it. I went to see who it was…" she started.

"He rang the doorbell?" asked Bob.

"Yeah, I know," said Cadance nodding. "I pulled my wand out and used it to throw him outside and lock the door, and then grabbed Ginny and the boys and sent them out the back door and told them to wait ten minutes and if I didn't come back out for them by that time, run to the village and start using magic until someone from the Ministry came and send them up to the house."

"And did you do exactly as she said?" asked Bob, turning to Percy as the oldest.

"Not _exactly_," said Percy shaking his head. "We didn't wait ten minutes. I took Ron and Ginny with me and went straight to the village, because we didn't know how long it would take someone to show up and we didn't want to be too late. Fred and George wanted to stay though in case you vanquished the demon and came back out before 10 minutes was up. So we ran down to the village without them and you showed up pretty quickly after I started making those kids' toys fly around."

"Yeah, well, I had Mafalda Hopkirk keeping an eye on the areas surrounding Ottery St. Catchpole every since Cadance started staying with you," said Bob. "I told her to let me know if they detected any improper magic there, because it was probably just Cadance blowing off steam. That's why _I_ came; I was going to yell at Cadance."

"There are four other Wizarding families in the vicinity; did you _have_ to assume that _I_ was the one doing something wrong?" asked Cadance.

"Alright, so you sent the kids out the back door. What happened next?" asked Bob.

"Owen broke in, we fought a little, then Charlie showed up," said Cadance. "Owen disarmed me and told Charlie to drop his wand or he'd kill me and then when Charlie _did_ Owen hit him with whatever curse it was. Then I got thrown out the window and then Fred and George set off some fireworks and then I killed him."

"Are you sure he's dead?" asked Matt.

"This wasn't my first vanquish, you know," said Cadance, testily.

"Why did he suddenly attack?" asked Bob. "Your uncle said that you and he thought he would lie low for a while."

Suddenly Cadance remembered. "He said… he said that Cati was back," said Cadance, looking curiously up at Bob.

"Yeah," said Bob, his brow furrowed as he nodded. "She is. She got back _maybe_ a half-hour before I left. Owen must have been watching the Ministry. I told Cati that you were—er—visiting the Weasleys on your day off. She wanted to go straight over, but I told her she had to fill out her report first, or I knew I'd never get it."

"You told her it was my day off?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, well, I could have told her that you were on a ten-day sabbatical and was spending it at the Weasleys because your ex-boyfriend had killed a child while you watched, but I figured then I would _never_ get the report," said Bob. "So I locked Cati and Jim Beaver in the conference room and told my secretary not to unlock the door until they were done."

Matt looked at him with awe. "There is so much I could learn from you," he said.

"Come on," said Bob. "We'll get these six some tea and have a chat." Matt got up and left with Bob, leaving Cadance alone with the Weasley kids, who sat in the chairs around her.

Ginny tugged on Cadance's sleeve and she looked over at her. Ginny handed her back her pocket watch. "Thanks," said Cadance, pocketing it. They had sat quietly for a few minutes, when a nurse led Mr. and Mrs. Weasley down the hallway to them.

Cadance and the Weasley kids all hopped to their feet. "Do we know anything?" asked Mrs. Weasley, her voice panicky.

Cadance shook her head. "They won't tell us anything, but he was alive when we brought him in," she said. Mrs. Weasley put her arms around Ginny and Fred, her two children who were standing closest to her.

"Are the rest of you alright?" asked Mr. Weasley, peering intently at them over his glasses, as if looking to see if he could spot anything wrong with them. All five of the Weasley children nodded. "Cadance? Alright?" Cadance paused and looked at the floor before looking back up at him.

"I'm sorry," she said shaking her head. "I'm so sorry. It's my fault again."

Mr. Weasley shook his head. "Don't do that," he said.

Cadance ignored him and kept right on going. "I put your entire family in danger, and now…"

"Stop," said Mr. Weasley firmly, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault. It's not anyone's fault."

Before Cadance could argue with him, Bob and Matt came back down the hallway. Matt was holding a tray from the cafeteria loaded with six mugs of tea. Bob was carrying milk and sugar. They were still talking as they approached the seating area, oblivious to everyone else.

"And you'd be amazed what Cadance and Cati can do with the proper motivation," said Bob.

"Oh, I know! For example, I've found that I can get Cati to do almost anything just by offering her a _cookie_," said Matt.

"Interesting…" said Bob, looking thoughtful.

"Now, I don't know what would work on Cadance, but I've got a feeling that she's got a weakness for cream-filled pies…"

Mrs. Weasley cleared her throat. Bob and Matt looked over at them. "Oh," said Bob, resuming his gruff manner. "Hello, Arthur. Molly." He nodded at them.

"We brought some tea for the kids and Cadance," said Matt, as he started to hand the mugs from the tray to the Weasley kids. "We can go get some more though, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, if you want some."

"No, thank you, dear," said Mrs. Weasley.

"I _do not_ have a weakness for cream-filled pies," said Cadance, shaking her head and looking murderously at Matt.

"Shutup and drink your tea," said Bob.

Just then the double doors opened and a Healer walked out. It was one of the ones that had taken Charlie back. Everyone looked expectantly at him. "Is this the family?" He directed his question at Cadance. She nodded. "The curse caused massive internal bleeding. We managed to detect and stop it in time. There won't be any permanent damage."

"Thank God," said Mrs. Weasley. "Can we see him?"

"How many of you?" the Healer asked.

Mr. Weasley looked around at his family and Cadance and Matt and Bob. "Well… all of us," he said.

The Healer thought for a second, then said, "He started to wake up, but we gave him a sleeping potion, so he's out cold right now. He needs rest. If he wakes up, some of you will have to leave so that you don't excite him."

"That's fine," said Mr. Weasley, ushering his children in front of him and through the double doors. Through the doors, there was more hallway. The Healer led them through another set of doors on the left and into a large room that had four areas curtained off.

"Behind there," said the Healer, pointing them to the first. "I'll be back to check on you in a little bit. Healer Connor, you know where to find me if anyone needs anything." Matt nodded in acknowledgement.

All the Weasleys and Cadance, Bob, and Matt walked around the curtain. Charlie was lying asleep in a hospital bed. Two chairs were next to the bed. "Merlin's pants, he looks awful," whispered Fred, shaking his head. "Honestly, his nose looks like it takes up half his face and I _definitely_ see the start of a uni-brow. Really, mom, it's a shame you and dad couldn't produce more children as good looking as…"

He was cut off abruptly as Cadance and Mrs. Weasley rebuked, "_Fred_!" at the same time as Mr. Weasley scolded, "George!"

There was a pause as Mr. Weasley looked curiously at Mrs. Weasley and Cadance and then peered intently at the twins. "Oh, right. Sorry, Fred."

"You should be apologizing to me," said George. "You yelled at me for no reason!"

"Well, you get a free one then," said Mr. Weasley.

"I've got to get back to the Ministry," said Bob. "I've got to get someone from the Reversal Magic Squad into your kitchen to clean up."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," said Mrs. Weasley. "I can clean it up when I get home."

"No, it's alright. That's what the Reversal Magic Squad is there for; cleaning up when my Aurors' boyfriends try to kill them," said Bob. Cadance and Mrs. Weasley both shot him a look.

"Too far," whispered Matt out of the side of his mouth.

"I'm sensing that," responded Bob, with a nod.

"You should probably leave quickly," said Matt.

"Yeah, see you later," said Bob, backing out slowly, before disappearing behind the curtain. A few seconds later they heard the door to the ward open then close again.

"Cadance," said Mr. Weasley putting a hand on her shoulder. "I know this is probably hard for you right now, but can you tell me what happened?"

Cadance sighed and then started into the story, skipping over the part where Owen knew that Cadance and Charlie had slept together. Just as she was getting to the part where Fred and George set off the fireworks through the open window when she was suddenly interrupted by sounds coming from outside the room. "What…?"

"Sounds like someone arguing," commented Percy.

"Ma'am, I _told_ you, you cannot go in there!" said an angry female voice.

"AND I TOLD YOU I'M GOING IN THERE WHETHER YOU SAY I CAN OR NOT!"

Matt groaned, and Cadance's head snapped towards the door, as they both recognized the voice. "Cati!" exclaimed Cadance, running to the door.

Matt shook his head and rolled his eye to the ceiling. "She is so going to get me fired."

Before Cadance could even reach the doors they burst open and Cati strode in. Cadance ran up to her and threw her arms around her, and Cati returned her embrace.

"I'm gone for less than a week and all hell breaks lose!" exclaimed Cati. "What happened?!"

Suddenly Cadance noticed that Drew and a Healer had walked in behind her. The Healer looked annoyed and Drew looked slightly sheepish.

"Ma'am, you're going to have to leave," said the Healer firmly.

Cati ignored her and walked around the curtain divider with Cadance. "Is he alright?" asked Cati, peering intently at Charlie.

"He'll be fine," answered Matt.

Cati did a double take, finally realizing he was standing there. "How…?" she began.

"Long story," said Matt, shaking his head.

Cati turned her attention back to Charlie. "You might want to take this moment to pluck his eyebrows; I think I see a sort of uni-brow forming," said Cati, squinting her eyes.

"I told you," hissed Fred at his mother.

"Er… Cati?" said Drew, timidly poking his head around the curtain. "That Healer just went to get security so we should probably get the hell out of here."

"I'm not afraid of some rent-an-Auror," said Cati.

"Uh, I am," said Drew.

"You're like an infant," said Cati, shaking her head.

"Did you _not_ see that large brute of a man sitting in the waiting room when first got here? With the word "security" plastered across his robes? It looked like he was part troll!"

"For Merlin's sake, you're an Auror, man! Act like it!" exclaimed Cati.

"Shhhhh!" hissed Cadance, Mrs. Weasley, and Matt.

"He needs sleep," said Cadance, pointing at Charlie.

"Alright, alright, we'll wait down in the cafeteria; I'm starved," said Cati.

"I'll go with you," said Matt.

"Do you want us to take the mini-Weasleys with us?" asked Drew.

"Er, perhaps that would be best," said Mr. Weasley. "We'll be down for them shortly."

"Come, young Weasleys," said Cati in a tone of false grandeur while bowing them in front of her out the door. "And while we wait, I shall tell you about the adventure I got into over the last few days."

"I'm not entirely sure that's age appropriate," said Drew, falling into step behind her.

"Stop being such an old woman."

* * *

"Cadance. Cadance, wake up," Mr. Weasley was whispering in her ear. Cadance rubbed her eyes and looked up at him. The room was dark.

"I'm awake," she said. She had curled up in a chair next to Charlie's bed. He hadn't woken up yet, but the Healer said that he had been given a strong sleeping potion. Mrs. Weasley had taken the kids home to feed them dinner earlier, and Cati, Drew and Matt had left as well. Cadance and Mr. Weasley remained.

"Your uncle is outside," said Mr. Weasley.

"Thanks," murmured Cadance, climbing out of her chair and heading for the exit. Her uncle was standing outside in the waiting area.

"You look ghastly, my dear," said Dumbledore, without preamble, glancing from the bandage on her head to the one on her neck.

"You should see the other guy," said Cadance, stifling a yawn and collapsing into one of the chair. Her uncle took a seat next to her. "What time is it?"

"It's after midnight," said Dumbledore. "Tell me why I had to hear from Arabella that there was another attempt on your life?"

"I'm sorry," said Cadance running a hand over her face. "It was just a little hectic this afternoon after Charlie…"

"Is he alright?" asked Dumbledore

Cadance nodded. "They said he'll be fine."

"And you?" he asked, pointing at her neck.

"Barely a scratch," said Cadance dismissively. Dumbledore's eyes fell to the blood soaked into her collar, but he said nothing about it.

"I had a chat with Arthur Weasley before he woke you up," said Dumbledore. "He said you're feeling guilty."

"How else should I be feeling right now?" asked Cadance looking pointedly at him. "Charlie is lying in there, unconscious. He could have been _killed_. Percy or Fred or George or Ron or Ginny could have been killed, too. And all because they were around _me_."

"They also _weren't killed_ because you were around, dear. Don't forget that," said Dumbledore.

Cadance looked away and was quiet for several seconds before deciding to change the subject. "How did Arabella know I was here anyway?"

"Apparently your Godmother is friends with the Records Keeper and he sent her an owl when Bob Reynolds filed his report," said Dumbledore. "She came to see me straight away. I went to your flat, but Cati said you hadn't come back yet, and that she was thinking about coming here to check on you but she was a bit frightened by the—how did she put it?—by the 'mountain troll of a security guard'. Er—I promised I wouldn't tell Drew about that, so I'll count on your discretion."

"My lips are sealed."

Just then, Mr. Weasley came out of the Emergency Spell Damage ward. "I'm going to head home and see Molly and get some sleep," he said, walking up to them. He put a hand on Cadance's shoulder and added, "I suggest you do the same. I'll be back first thing in the morning."

Cadance nodded. "Good night, Mr. Weasley."

"Thank God you were there today," murmured Mr. Weasley, turning and heading away down the hallway. Cadance opened her mouth, but her uncle shot her a look and shook his head, so she closed it.

When Mr. Weasley was out of earshot, Dumbledore said, "Do you think it matters to him that the demon was after _you_? No, Cadance. He's just relieved that all of his children _and you_ are all safe." Cadance nodded, but did not look convinced. "It's getting late. Do you want to stay at Hogwarts for a while?"

Cadance shook her head. "I'm almost 19-years-old; I can't run home to Hogwarts every time things get a little rough."

"You're never too old to run home to Hogwarts," said Dumbledore.

Cadance smiled and hugged him. "I'll come see you soon. Good night, Uncle Albus."

"Sweet dreams, Cadance," said Dumbledore. "Don't stay up too late. Get some sleep." Cadance nodded, then turned around and walked back into the ward. Dumbledore waited until she had passed through the double doors before leaving.

Back inside, Cadance sat down in the chair she had vacated and put her face in her hands. Before her brain could even process a thought, the quiet was interrupted. "Hey, kid. Tough day?"

Her head snapped up. "You're awake," she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I heard my dad leave about a minute ago," said Charlie, quietly. He raised his arm and she leaned forward and grabbed onto his hand with both of hers.

"How long have you been up?" asked Cadance.

"Just since then," said Charlie. "Fill me in. Did you get him?"

"Owen?" asked Cadance. Charlie nodded. "He's dead. It's taken care of."

"Are you alright?" asked Charlie.

"I'm getting really tired of that question," said Cadance. "I'm fine. I'm more worried about you."

"What about…?" began Charlie, adjusting himself so he was sitting up, but Cadance cut him off, anticipating his question.

"Your brothers and sister are fine."

"It's a good thing you were there," said Charlie.

"_No, Charlie_," hissed Cadance, her eyes flashing. She hadn't spoken back to her uncle or to Mr. Weasley, but she had no problem correcting Charlie. "Everyone seems to be forgetting that if I had taken care of Owen nearly two weeks ago, that little girl would still be alive, you wouldn't have gotten hurt, and your family wouldn't have been at risk."

"Cadance…"

"And, furthermore," she barreled on, "I should never have put your family in such danger by staying at the Burrow, knowing what Owen was capable of."

"But none of that matters, Cadance," said Charlie, shaking his head. "Not to us."

"Why did you drop your wand?" asked Cadance, suddenly. Charlie looked at her, confused. "When Owen told you to drop your wand, why did you do it? I _told_ you not to."

"He was going to kill you," said Charlie, incredulously. "He _meant _it. He was _torturing_ you. I _had_ to do it."

"I hate myself right now because he _hurt_ you. What if he had _killed_ you?"

"I knew you wouldn't let that happen," said Charlie, winking at her.

"Come on, I'm serious," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Hey," said Charlie, rolling over onto his side to face her better. He was still holding on to her hand and he pulled her closer. "So was I."

"We have a problem, Charlie," said Cadance, looking at the floor. "Owen knew that you and I had been sleeping together and he _used that_ against us. We were so worried about whether or not whatever this is between us would ruin our friendship, but we never considered… Demons can use you to get to me. You could get hurt again, and I can't…" she trailed off and brought her free hand up to cover her face. Charlie swung his legs over the side of his bed so he was facing her. He leaned forward and grabbed both of her hands.

"What are you going on about?" asked Charlie. "Are you scared that you're going to get hurt because of me?"

"_No_, I'm scared that _you're_ going to get hurt because of _me_," said Cadance. "I have lost _so much_. I can't lose you, too. The fact of the matter is that you dropped your wand today because you cared too much for me and it clouded your judgment."

"So what do you want to do?" asked Charlie. "Whether we're sleeping together or not, I will do _whatever_ a demon says while he's got you at wand-point and is threatening to hurt you. Whether you like it or not."

"Then I have to make sure you're never in that situation again," said Cadance. "We have to end this now before…" She trailed off and shook her head.

"Before what?" snapped Charlie.

"Charlie, I… I think I'm falling in love with you."

"Well, guess what," said Charlie, almost aggressively. "Me too."

"You're falling in love with you, too? How very strange…"

"_There's_ the Cadance I'm falling in love with," laughed Charlie.

"No, you can't," hissed Cadance. The pitcher of water on the table next to his bed suddenly showered, and water gushed to the floor.

"What the…" said Charlie, looking back and forth from the broken remains of the ceramic pitcher, to Cadance.

"Sorry," mumbled Cadance, drawing her feet up onto the chairs, tucking her knees under her chin and wrapping her arms around them.

He paused for a second, looking into her eyes. Then he heaved a sigh. "Alright. It's your call. I can't make you… I don't want to have to talk you into…" As he trailed off, trying to choose his words, Cadance threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. It took him a second to recover, then he hugged her back.

"I'm going to miss this," whispered Cadance.

Charlie pulled away and put his hands on either side of her face. "I'm always here," he said.

"Hopefully not _right here_," said Cadance. "That's what we're trying to avoid." Charlie snorted then playfully slapped her on the back of the head.

"Are we going to be able to go right back to how we were?" asked Charlie, his face growing serious.

"I think so," said Cadance, nodding. "All we have to do is stop sleeping together, which we _probably_ would have had a harder time with anyway because Cati came back today."

"She's back?" asked Charlie.

"Yeah, she was here earlier. The security guard scared her. Don't tell Drew."

Charlie chuckled. "You got it."

"Cati and Fred both think that you're starting to grow a uni-brow, by the way," said Cadance.

"I am not," insisted Charlie, as his nose wrinkled and his hand instinctively flew to his eyebrows.

"If you say so, Buddy."

"You look like hell," said Charlie, laying back down. "You need sleep."

"You're one to talk," said Cadance.

"Go home and get a full night's sleep. I'll come see you as soon as I get discharged," said Charlie.

Cadance stood up and stretched. She leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead. "I'll come back in the morning."

"Good night," said Charlie.

Cadance left the ward and headed down to the cafeteria to get a cup of coffee, knowing she would come back up as soon as she was sure he was asleep.

* * *

Cadance yawned and opened her eyes. And then she noticed Charlie's bed was empty. She sat up straight in the chair she had fallen asleep in and stared at the bed for a second, as if it would tell her where Charlie was.

"Good morning, sunshine."

Cadance turned around. Charlie was leaning against the wall, with a mug of coffee. He was wearing fresh robes. The curtain was pulled back, which Cadance took as a sign that Charlie was free to go. "Your back has got to be sore," he said.

"I think that has more to do with being thrown out of a window yesterday," said Cadance, standing up and stretching her back and wincing.

"I told you to go home and get some sleep last night," said Charlie, shaking his head.

"I know, and I figured I would wake up before you and then leave and change and come back," said Cadance.

Charlie opened his mouth and started to speak and then closed it again, staring at her curiously. "I actually wasn't expecting you to volunteer the truth so readily this morning; I was prepared to force you to admit what you'd done. I came up with retorts in my head for every excuse you could possibly give me for why you were sleeping in a chair when you were supposed to be home in bed."

"Yeah, I know, normally I _would_ lie, but I'm feeling a little off this morning," said Cadance, scrunching up her face and rubbing her side.

"You alright?" asked Charlie, a shadow of concern crossing his face.

"I'm fine," said Cadance, holding up her hand. "Just… weird. What time is it?"

"9:00," answered Charlie. "My father stopped in about an hour ago on his way to work. He says hello."

Just then, Cati scurried into the ward. She poked her head back out of the door and said, "And might I add that you're doing a hell of a job, Mr. Security Man." Cadance stifled a giggle, and Charlie discreetly winked at her as Cati pulled her head back in. "Hey, you're up!" She walked over and hugged Charlie.

"Yeah, the nurse just went to find the Healer to get my discharge papers signed," said Charlie.

Cati walked back over to the door and opened it a crack, peeking out. "I think that security guard is stalking me."

Cadance stifled a giggle again and said, "Whatcha doin' here, Cate?"

"Oh! You didn't come home last night so you didn't get to hear my AMAZING plan," said Cati excitedly. "And I ran into Bob Reynolds downstairs and he's looking for you, too. He's just nipping down to the cafeteria because it's 8:15 and that's his coffee time and _you know_ how he gets when he doesn't have his coffee."

"What does he want?" asked Cadance.

"I don't know, I didn't stay to chat. I came up here to tell you my AMAZING plan," said Cati, as if it were obvious.

"What's your amazing plan?" asked Cadance.

"VEGAS!" exclaimed Cati.

"What?"

"We're going to VEGAS!"

"When?!"

"NOW!" exclaimed Cati. "There's an amateur poker tournament, starts tonight! I booked a hotel room, let's go!"

"Cati, I can't just pick up and go to _Vegas_," said Cadance, looking to Charlie for support, but he just put up both hands defensively and shook his head.

"Why not? You've still got a week left on your suspension!" exclaimed Cati. "We're going to Vegas!"

"Hold on, sparky." Bob Reynolds had walked into the room, holding a mug of coffee. "Did you just say you're going to Las Vegas?"

"Yes, indeedy, Bob-arooni," said Cati.

"Not to put a hitch in your plans, but Cadance won't have medical clearance from the department to leave the country," said Bob. He reached into his robes and pulled out a clear plastic evidence bag, which contained a knife. He held it out to Cadance. "Is this the knife that Owen sliced you with yesterday? The Reversal Magic Squad found it at the Weasley's yesterday when they were cleaning up after your little adventure."

"First of all, the word 'adventure' implies _fun_, Bob, and if you think that I enjoyed myself AT ALL yesterday than you've…" began Cadance.

"Just look at it, Dumbledore," snapped Bob, tossing it at her.

Cadance caught it and looked at it. "Not entirely sure you should _throw_ sharp objects but _whatever_," she said. "Yeah. This is it. Why?"

"Hey, isn't that the knife that Owen said would trap your powers if he stabbed you with it?" asked Charlie, taking it from her hand and looking at it.

"Oh, yeah," said Cadance, nodding. She looked back to Bob. "What about it?"

"Wait, that knife is supposed to trap your powers?" asked Cati, pointing at it. "And he got you with it?" She pantomimed stabbing.

"Nah, it was more of a…" she stopped mid-sentence, and halfway through a pantomime of a horizontal slashing motion. Realization dawned on her face. "Oh, that's probably not good."

"Not so much, no," said Bob.

"Let me see this wound here," said Cati leaning in to examine Cadance's bandage. She reached out and ripped it off with one quick motion. Cadance yelped in pain. "Oh, be quiet, you big baby."

Charlie and Bob both leaned in closer to inspect it as well. "Damn," muttered Charlie under his breathe.

"What?" asked Cadance, her chin tilted upwards so her neck was more easily visible.

"It _looks_ infected," said Charlie.

"The knife is cursed," said Bob as he and Charlie took a step backwards to give Cadance some room. Cati, however, was still in her personal space.

"That explains why you're feeling off this morning," said Charlie.

"But the cut isn't too deep, so the knife probably didn't trap your powers, which is good because from what the guys in Magical Artifacts department tell me, we'd have to stab you with the knife to put them back _in_," said Bob.

"So… what? Do we, like, draw straws to see who gets to stab her now?" asked Cati. Bob shot her a dirty look, though Cadance and Charlie chuckled.

"Not funny, Cati," said Bob. "Cadance, you'd better try using your powers to make sure you've still got them."

Cadance waved her hand at the chair by the bed and it exploded. "Oh, darn," said Cati, after ducking as a piece of wood flew past her ear. "I was looking forward to getting to stab you."

Cadance's face was blank. "I was just trying to move it a little."

"Burt from Magical Artifacts said that if it didn't trap your powers, it probably messed them up a little. You won't be able to control them for a while… not until the cut heals up properly," said Bob.

"You _did_ blow up that water jug last night," said Charlie, pointing at the shattered remains that were still on the bedside table.

"The minute you became an Auror, I became responsible for your behavior," said Bob. "And until your powers are back under control, you won't have medical clearance from the department which means…."

"No clearance from the Auror Department for international travel," finished Cati.

"Sorry, Cate," said Cadance.

"You also have to have a psychological evaluation now, too," said Bob. Cadance groaned. "Don't give me that… you know my hands are tied. And, Cati, if _you're_ still going to Vegas we need to have a talk about proper hotel decorum because, as I just pointed out, the minute you became an Auror I became responsible for your behavior, too."

"Oh, you're in big trouble then."

* * *

Cadance insisted that Cati go to Las Vegas and enjoy herself, even though she couldn't accompany her, knowing that her best friend really wanted to go. It took a little while, but Cadance finally convinced Cati that she would be fine without her. Matt couldn't get out of work, but Bob Reynolds gave Drew a week off so that he could go with his sister—partly to keep her under control.

As it turns out, being attacked by a demon was worth a week's vacation according to Charlie's boss. So, after saying goodbye to Cati and Drew, Charlie and Cadance returned to the Burrow in time for an early lunch. They sat down at the kitchen table with Percy, the twins, Ron and Ginny to eat, while Mrs. Weasley bustled around serving them lunch. The younger Weasley children were clearly instructed by their mother to not talk about the incident around Cadance, but since it was still fresh on their minds they ate in near silence.

"So… what are you all doing this afternoon?" asked Charlie, trying to relieve the silence by addressing his younger siblings.

"Well, I think we're going to go over our homework and make sure we've answered everything correctly," said George, directing his statement at his mother's back, as she walked out of the kitchen to do some laundry.

Charlie watched her leave as well and as soon as she was out of earshot he said, "Okay, so what are you really doing?"

"Cati gave us an idea yesterday of adding powdered toadstool to the fireworks we invented to make the colors change," said Fred. "We're going to do that."

"Cool! Can I help?" asked Ron.

"Absolutely not," said George. Ron shot him a dirty look.

"She also gave us an idea of an EXCELLENT prank to pull in Potions…" began Fred.

Cadance interrupted him. "Uh… does it involve 3 eggs from the kitchen, a white rabbit, some green paint, the Potions supply closet, and everyone's favorite Potion's master, by chance?"

"As a matter of fact it does," said George, nodding.

"Er… its not a good idea," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"But he'll never be able to figure out it was us!" exclaimed George. "That's what the rabbit's for!"

"You are severely underestimating him, to the point of recklessness."

"Well, then what do _you_ suggest we do in Potion's class?" asked George.

"You _could_ pay attention," said Cadance.

"Did _you_ pay attention in Potions?"

"Of course, I did," said Cadance.

Charlie, sitting next to her, shook his head and mouthed, "No, she didn't." Cadance saw him do this out of the corner of her eye and elbowed him hard in the side, causing him to cough up some of the pie he was eating. "Hey!"

"For your information, _Charlie_," said Cadance emphatically, "I _had_ to pay attention in Potion's class because I had to be _aware_ of where Professor Snape was lurking at all times or else he would have caught me and Cati releasing cockroaches in the Slytherins' bags. Duh."

"That's so… simple," said George, shaking his head.

"And that's why it's _brilliant_," said Cadance. "The simplest plan is usually the best. That's true of most things in life." Charlie was staring at her curiously. "What?"

"You just said something _wise_," he said incredulously.

"Well, yeah," said Cadance, shrugging and looking round the table. "But I said it about putting cockroaches in the Slytherins' bags. It doesn't _count_."

* * *

Cadance went back to her empty flat after eating lunch with the Weasleys. She had left the window opened just enough for Post Owls to get in and out. There was a pile of mail under the window, including a couple of newspapers. She scooped it up and then walked back to her bedroom. She threw her duffle bag in the corner and laid down on her bed. She pulled her pocket watch out of the pocket of her robes and looked at it. 1:30. Twenty-four hours ago she had been sitting at the kitchen table, defending her potion skills to Fred and George. Her sleep-to-demon-fighting ratio was all off. Too much demon-fighting. Too little sleep.

She considered taking a nap—she could really use one—but somehow she felt like she didn't deserve one. Instead she reached over to the stack of mail and grabbed whatever was on top, which happened to be today's _Daily Prophet_. Her own picture was once again looking back up at her. She looked at the headline and groaned. "Auror Dumbledore vanquishes ex-lover in Ministry employee's kitchen." She threw the newspaper across the room, without reading the article. Then she picked out all of the _Prophets_ from the pile and tossed them as well.

She was left with three letters. The first was an official notice from the Ministry from a few days earlier, notifying her of her 10-day paid "suspension", and giving the date in which she was to report back for duty. The second letter was a mailer from Zonko's Joke Shop; Cati had added their name to the mailing list seven years ago and they were still getting promotional information.

On the third letter, Cadance saw her own name printed on the envelope and she recognized Remus Lupin's tiny scrawl immediately. She ripped it open, unfolded the letter and read. Today's date was at the top, so he must have written it that morning.

_Dear Cadance,_

_I'm sorry I haven't been in touch in a while. I read all about your messy break-up in the paper all weekend. After today's coverage of your love life in the Prophet I thought I should check in. I am sure that your uncle and Cati and Mrs. Weasley are taking good care of you, and McGonagall may have even had one of her rare showings of emotion, but for my own peace of mind I wanted to write._

_I'm not going to pretend that I know what it was like for you to go through whatever actually happened in Diagon Alley and the Weasleys' kitchen (I don't believe the Prophet's version of the events at all). However, I hope that you'll believe me when I say that I understand how __difficult__ it had to have been. Not only were you hurt by someone close to you, but your personal life has been thrust into the spotlight in the Prophet and your character and judgment and ability as an Auror have been called into question._

_You're strong and capable, and you'll be able to handle anything that comes your way. Remember that. You're more like your parents than you realize. Hang in there. Just know that if you need anything, I'm just a letter away._

_Love, Remus_

Cadance folded the letter and then laid it down on the bed next to her. She stared at the ceiling thinking about his words. _I hope that you'll believe me when I say that I understand how difficult it had to have been_. Well, he was probably right about that, she thought. Losing all your friends to Death Eaters, resigning your post because you're a werewolf and moving away and starting over was probably quite comparable to killing your boyfriend and having it published in the newspaper.

_You're more like your parents than you realize_. If she really was like her parents, she was glad she cut ties with Charlie. The odds of her ending up like them were high, and she couldn't do that to Charlie. Killed by Death Eaters.

Death Eaters…

She got a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as realization hit her like a truck. Voldemort was coming back. She had seen it. How could she have forgotten about that? She and Cati knew.

Voldemort was coming back and her uncle was hiding the Sorcerer's Stone in Hogwarts.

The next thing she knew she was being shaken awake. She opened her eyes and met Charlie's deep brown ones, filled with concern. "You were mumbling in your sleep," he said. "Something about your mum and dad."

"Just a nightmare," mumbled Cadance. She furrowed her brow and trying to remember what she had been dreaming. She couldn't remember a thing. "What are you doing here?"

"I was worried about you. I think you need to get away for a while," said Charlie.

"I'm not going back to the Burrow…" began Cadance.

"No, you won't relax there," said Charlie, shaking his head. "You need to relax."

"Relax?"

Charlie stood and held his hand out. "Come with me," he said. "Let's get out of here."

Cadance hesitated. "Charlie…" she said. "We said we wouldn't…"

"Just one more week, Cadance," he said. "One more week."

Cadance cracked a smile and then took his hand, and he pulled her to her feet. "I still can't leave the country."

"Then we won't leave the country."

* * *

"Where are we?" asked Cadance, as she shook off the strange feeling that accompanied Apparating. She looked up and saw a charming house, quite large in size, yet with the homey-ness of a small cottage. Charlie let go of her hand and they ducked behind a bush to remove the disillusionment charms they had cast over themselves.

"The Brighton Bed and Breakfast," said Charlie, as he suddenly became available again. "Just a hop, skip and a jump from the beach."

"Charlie, it's the middle of the summer. They won't have any openings," said Cadance, as they walked up the steps to the quaint front porch.

"I stopped by before I came to get you," said Charlie. "It seems one of their guests had a sudden urge to vacation elsewhere. He checked out and we get his room." He pulled a room key out of his pocket of his jeans. They had changed into muggle clothes before coming.

They walked through the front door and into the reception area where a middle-aged woman looked up as they entered. "Oh, you're back already, Mr. Finklestein?" she asked. "This must be your friend."

"Finklestein?" whispered Cadance, as Charlie ushered her past the receptionist with a smile and a nod in her direction.

"Just roll with it," hissed Charlie. They walked up the stairs and down the hallway to the very last room. Charlie opened the door. The room matched the décor of the house. There was a sleeping area and a sitting area with a television. The bathroom was on the left. From the window, they could see the beach.

"Nice," said Cadance, nodding appreciatively and taking a step inside.

"And look!" exclaimed Charlie. He grabbed the channel changer off of the dresser and turned on the TV. "They've got movie channels for free!"

Cadance chuckled and flopped down on the bed. There was a booklet lying on one of the pillows. She grabbed it and opened it up to find information about entertainment and restaurants in the area. "Oh, we can play mini-golf!" she exclaimed.

"Okay!" said Charlie excitedly, flopping down onto the bed with her. "Take off your clothes!"

"No, I mean _real_ miniature golf," said Cadance, holding the open booklet up in front of his face.

"Ooh, they have a wind mill," observed Charlie. "Let's go!"

* * *

Later that night, clothes littered the floor, and Cadance and Charlie were lying in bed. The light from the moon shone through the window, providing just enough light for them to see each other. Cadance had her head on his chest and he was stroking her hair.

"I'm glad you convinced me to do this," said Cadance.

"Me, too," said Charlie. They were quiet for a few minutes. "Can I ask you a question?"

"I think you just did," said Cadance.

"Were you happy with Owen?" asked Charlie.

Cadance was quiet for a few seconds and then she sighed. "I was happy with where I was," she said. "And with _who_ I was."

"Are you any different now than you were two weeks ago?" asked Charlie, brushing some stray hair out of his face.

"Yes," said Cadance, turning her head so she was looking up at his face. "Sadder but wiser."

"Sadder?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow.

Cadance suppressed a smile. "Maybe not _right now_," she said, taking his hand. Her face clouded over and she was quiet for a second, then said, "Charlie, I used the killing curse on Owen." She felt Charlie shift a little, and then continued quickly before he could say a word. "I know, I did an awful thing, but I don't regret doing it and that makes me sad."

"Cadance, it was self-defense," said Charlie reassuringly, squeezing her hand.

"I could have found another way to vanquish him. The killing curse is unforgivable. And I still don't regret it," said Cadance. "I'm an Auror. I should be better than that. But I'm not."

"You _are_," said Charlie. "You're feeling guilty about _not_ feeling guilty about killing a very dangerous demon? You've got a very complicated conscience, Cadance. And remember, he used an Unforgivable Curse on you first." They were quiet for a few seconds then Charlie said, "Cadance, that was the scariest thing I've ever seen. I _had_ to do what he said when he told me to drop my wand, because I _couldn't_ watch him do that to you again." Cadance sighed. So they had come back to this.

"It felt like I was being ripped apart and turned inside out," said Cadance. Charlie held her tighter. "I mean, we had to learn to fight the Imperius Curse when we were going through Auror training, and it was painful to have someone else in your mind over and over and over again until you learned to fight it off, and that's what I thought the Cruciatus Curse was like. I was _very_ wrong."

"But you're never going to have to go through something like that again," said Charlie. "You won't have to fight an Unforgivable Curse again, and you won't have to _use one_. This isn't like what _your parents_ went through with Death Eaters or anything…"

And for the second time today, Cadance found herself being compared to her parents, only this time Charlie was saying her situation was different. There were no Death Eaters…

And, also for the second time today, she got that sinking feeling in her stomach. There _will be_ Death Eaters, she thought. Her breath caught in her throat and she squeezed her eyes shut.

"What is it?" asked Charlie. She felt him shift again and she could feel his concerned eyes on her. She took a deep breath and then shifted so that she wasn't lying on Charlie anymore. She rolled over on her side and supported her weight on her elbow so that she was looking at him. He pushed himself up on his elbow as well so that they were eye-to-eye. His brow was furrowed slightly, and he was peering intently at her as if trying to see through her eyes into her brain, and everything she was thinking would suddenly become clear to him.

"Charlie, I have to tell you something," she said. "This is bigger than just me and you, or demons, or… anything we've gone through in the last two weeks."

"What is it?" he asked. He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Just tell me."

"Charlie, Voldemort's coming back. Soon. I _will_ have to deal with Death Eaters and Unforgivable Curses and…everything that my parents had to deal with."

"Cadance… how could you…?" asked Charlie, shaking his head. "You're not thinking clearly."

Cadance shook her head and there was something in her eyes that scared Charlie, because it made him believe her even though he didn't want to. "I saw it, Charlie," said Cadance. "_I saw it_. I saw Harry Potter… and _him_… the Dark Lord. They were dueling in a cemetery. Harry was young… too young to be dueling _any_ fully-grown wizard, let alone _Voldemort_…"

"_No_," interrupted Charlie, shaking his head, not wanting to believe it. "How could that be? You haven't seen Harry since he was 1 and you… you've never seen You-Know-Who."

"Charlie, it had to be Harry. He looked just like James," said Cadance, shaking her head. "And Voldemort… Charlie, I just know it was him. Like bringing back a piece of a memory. I know it was him, but I can't explain how I know. _I just know_."

And he locked eyes with her again, and any doubt that he was clinging to evaporated. He believed her; he knew she was right. "What do… What should… How…"

Cadance shook her head, and squeezed his hand tight. "There's nothing to be done about it now," she said. "I just… needed to tell you."

"Did you tell… anyone?" asked Charlie. "Bob Reynolds… the Minister… Dumbledore?"

Cadance shook her head. "_No_," she said. "Just Cati… and now you."

"You've got to tell your uncle," said Charlie, insistently. "He has to know! Harry is Ron's age right? He'll be starting at Hogwarts this year. Someone has to keep an eye on him. Your uncle _has_ to know."

"Charlie, I can't tell him," said Cadance shaking her head. "I can't do it. I don't want to worry him. What if I'm wrong?"

"You _just said_ you were sure!" argued Charlie exasperatedly.

"I _am_ sure," said Cadance. "But what if I'm wrong?"

Charlie cocked his eyebrow at her and asked, "Is this what goes on in your head?"

"Every damn day," said Cadance, nodding.

"It has got to be hard to be you," said Charlie, shaking his head.

"We don't have to worry about the Dark Lord now," said Cadance. "And we shouldn't let it ruin our last week of… this."

"Right," said Charlie, nodding.

"Come on, let's figure out what we're going to do tomorrow," she said, sitting up. She turned on the light by the bed as Charlie grabbed the booklet off of the bedside table. He opened it up and flipped through.

"Hey! They have a nude beach!" exclaimed Charlie, excitedly. It was almost as if Cadance had never told him that the Dark Lord wasn't gone for good.

"Charlie," said Cadance reproachfully, while rolling her eyes.

"But that's _the dream_!" exclaimed Charlie. "That's every guy's dream! A whole day with no pants on!"

A smile crept across Cadance's face. "If you spend the whole day with no pants on, we're not leaving the room."

"That's the OTHER dream!"

* * *

A/N: That's it for this chapter, folks! If you could review, that would be great! Food will be given out in the next chapter to reviewers, just like I did in the last chapter of _As Strong As We Are United_. 


	15. Back from Vacation

A/N: I don't own anything that you recognize as someone else's

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize as someone else's.

A/N: Sorry for the summer hiatus! Enjoy the new chapter!

* * *

Cadance and Charlie spent a week in Brighton. Neither of them mentioned Voldemort or Owen or demons or anything unpleasant after that first night. But when the week was up, they went back to Cadance's flat in London and reality came flooding back to them.

This was it. Their week together was over, and it was time to go back to being just friends, because of what the future held—Death Eaters and demons and Voldemort. So they said goodbye. Charlie gave Cadance one last kiss and promised he'd see her at Tipsy's that weekend, and then he left.

The minute Cadance closed the door behind him, she felt a rush of sadness and she realized that she was going to miss Charlie. She had seen him every day for the past two weeks or so, and she had grown closer to him in that time—too close even. They would go back to the way things were, for his safety and for hers. And that meant seeing each other less often.

Cadance didn't have much time to dwell on it, however. She had to go back to work the next day, which also meant that she had to report for her mandatory counseling session with the Department therapist. She found a letter in the stack of mail on the floor under the window informing her of what time her session was the next day.

Also, Cati and Drew came back from Vegas about an hour and a half after Cadance returned, meaning things had truly returned to normal.

"CADANCE!" exclaimed Cati's voice as she came through the front door. Cadance, who was in her room unpacking, shoved her bag under her bed to hide the fact that she had been gone for a week.

"In here!" she called. Her bag was barely out of sight before Cati and Drew came in.

"HI!" exclaimed Cati. She pulled her friend into a hug.

"Hi! How was Vegas?" asked Cadance.

"Excellent. I am the new amateur poker champion of the Lamplighter Hotel and Casino!" exclaimed Cati.

"Nice!" said Cadance nodding appreciatively.

"Yeah, and I won a karaoke contest!" said Drew.

"Nice!" repeated Cadance.

"What did you do all week? You look tan," said Cati.

Cadance paused, to come up with an answer that wasn't 'I spent a week at the beach with Charlie. We had a thing for a while, but we ended it because Voldemort's coming back and I attract trouble.'

"I went to the pool," she answered.

"Oh. Cool," said Cati. "Do we have any food?"

* * *

"Cadance Dumbledore?" asked the receptionist. Cadance looked up from a copy of _Witch Weekly_. "Dr. Dauch will see you now." Cadance heaved a sigh and tossed the magazine back on the coffee table. She got to her feet, then walked through the door on her left, as the receptionist was indicating.

She could think of at least 10 things that she would rather be doing at 9:30 in the morning on her first day back to work. Mandatory psychological evaluation up on the 4th floor of the Ministry was nowhere on that list.

As she walked into the doctor's office, the first thing she noticed was the stark contrast from the waiting room, which was Ministry-standard white. The walls were paneled in dark cherry wood, with a matching desk and coffee table and bookshelf. There were also two high-backed leather chairs and a large over-stuffed sofa. The doctor was standing near the bookshelf, flipping through a binder. He was an older man, with a gentle air about him. He wore plain black robes and his gray flecked hair was parted on the side. Wire glasses were perched on his nosed. He looked up as she entered.

"Ah, Cadance, sit down," he said, smiling, indicating to the sofa.

"Hey, doc," said Cadance, taking a seat.

"Please, call me Basil," he answered, sitting down in one of the high-backed chairs. He held up the binder he had been flipping through as she entered. "I see that you're here because of an incident involving your ex-boyfriend."

"Yeah, I need you to sign this form, Bas'," she said, pulling a roll of parchment out of her pocket. "You need to tell the Ministry that my competency as an Auror isn't compromised because my ex-boyfriend tried to kill me." She tossed it onto the coffee table in between them and he picked it up.

"Ah, and it _hasn't_ compromised your competency then?" he asked, unrolling the parchment and reading it.

"Of course not," said Cadance.

"How can you tell?" he asked, peering at her over the top of the parchment.

"I vanquished the bastard, didn't I?"

"Indeed you did! And that's why you're here," answered Basil.

"Yeah, I know," said Cadance. "So can you sign, so that I can go back to work?"

"Ah, well," he said, rolling the parchment back up and placing it back on the table. "Unfortunately, I can't sign that until I'm sure that you're not a danger to yourself or others. The Ministry says I have to, and they sign my paychecks."

"Great," said Cadance, though the tone of her voice implied that it was not great. "So do you want me to tell you what happened, or what?"

"Oh, no, I don't think that's necessary," said Basil, opening the binder back up and looking at it. "I have the reports. I read them." He looked back up at her. "Unless there's something that I should know that's not in the report."

Cadance hesitated, caught off guard. "There's nothing," she said.

"Are you sure?" he asked. "You know, you have my assurance of confidentiality. Nothing that is said here leaves this room. The only thing that gets back to Bob Reynolds, or anyone for that matter, is _my_ signature on _that_ parchment."

"There's nothing," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"I don't believe you," he said. "But if you don't want to talk about it now, we can come back to that later. What did you do with your 10-day suspension?"

Cadance hesitated again. "Nothing," she answered.

"Oh, come now," he said. "You couldn't have been doing _nothing_." He looked intently at Cadance, waiting for her to offer something up. She didn't. "Cadance, if you want my signature on that paper, you're going to have to talk to me."

Cadance ran her hands over her face, and then sunk back into the sofa. She paused for several seconds and then she stood up abruptly and started to pace the floor. "It is _my _fault that a little girl died and it is _my_ fault that my friend Charlie got hurt and all the Weasley kids were in danger. _My_ fault. If it had been _any other_ demon that had attacked me three weeks ago, I would have vanquished him without hesitation and none of that would have happened. But I didn't see this coming."

"Cadance…" started Basil, but Cadance cut him off.

"No, no, doc, I'm on a roll now. You wanted me to talk, I'm talking," she said. "So let's recap: My ex-boyfriend _tried_ to kill me, and he _tried_ to kill my friends, and he _actually_ killed a little girl… and what else? Oh yeah… I've been sleeping with my best friend."

There was a pause as Basil stared at her. Then he said, rather tentatively, "Cati?"

"NO! My best _guy_ friend!" exclaimed Cadance. "With _Charlie_! _That's_ what I've been doing with my 10-day suspension."

"Oh," said Basil, nodding. "Well, it's just that you _do_ spend a lot of time with Cati—" He stopped abruptly as Cadance glared daggers at him. "Okay, maybe not. Wait… Is this the same Charlie that's mentioned in the report? _That_ Charlie?"

"Yes, _Charlie Weasley_," said Cadance.

"Okay, then. Let's talk about this Charlie thing."

"I don't _want_ to talk about this Charlie thing," said Cadance. "There _is_ no Charlie thing anymore. We ended it."

"Why did you end it?" asked Basil.

"That's _my business_," said Cadance icily, her eyes narrowing menacingly.

"I'm sensing some pent-up hostility now," said Basil.

"That's because I have no outlet because _I'm not allowed to do my job until someone signs this damn form_," she hissed. She took a deep breath and then sank back onto the sofa. "Look, I can do my job. Whatever issues I have, they _won't_ impact my work performance. Demons are a part of my life that I've come to accept. Just let me go back to work."

Basil stared at her for a few seconds, then he leaned forward and picked up the roll of parchment from the coffee table. He quickly signed it, then stood and handed it to her. "Do _not_ make me regret this, Cadance," he said.

"You won't," promised Cadance. She flashed him a smile, then headed out the door. Bob Reynolds was in the waiting room, flipping through the same Witch Weekly that she had been looking at before her appointment. When she came out, he quickly threw it down on the table and stood up.

"Well?" he asked.

"What are you doing here?" asked Cadance, cocking an eyebrow at him.

"Just waiting to see if I need to find a temporary replacement for you," said Bob.

"Not likely, Bob," said Cadance, pressing the parchment bearing Basil's signature into his hands. "I'm cleared."

Just then Basil came out of his office. "You signed?" Bob asked him, as Cadance headed off to the elevators to go back to the Auror department.

"I signed," said Basil, nodding.

"Already?" Bob was slightly incredulous.

"It was a very quick session," answered Basil.

"So you think she's mentally stable?"

"Oh, no, she's completely bonkers," said Basil, shaking his head. "But she's not incompetent."

"You don't think you should have evaluated her longer?"

"Trust me, its better to avoid the hassle with this one," said Basil.

"Just wait until you meet Cati."

* * *

Cadance was sleeping peacefully. She and Cati had been on-call last night, so they had sat in the Auror department until late, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did.

Thankfully, it was their day off so Cadance was looking forward to sleeping in. Cati, however, had other plans.

She kicked open Cadance's door at 8:00 in the morning. "It's the first day of school! Wake up! First day of school!" Cadance groaned and opened her eyes. September 1. How could she have forgotten? Cati had woken her up like this on September 1 for the past 9 years.

"Cati, as I reminded you last year, we don't go to Hogwarts anymore," said Cadance, pushing herself up into a sitting position, as Cati plopped down on the bed with her.

"So? The first time I did it, we weren't in school yet," said Cati.

"Yeah, but we were at least _living_ at Hogwarts at the time," said Cadance.

"Come on, it's the first day of school!" exclaimed Cati.

"But not for us," said Cadance. "And it's early and we were up late last night."

"But it's the first day of school."

"Well, it's not like we can _go_," said Cadance. "Remember what my uncle said? They don't need us wandering around there with Harry Potter starting this year."

"Oh, are we actually going to obey that?" asked Cati. Cadance shot her a look. "What? If Bob Reynolds had given us that order, we would have moved into the Hogwarts supply closet 10 minutes later, and Filch would be trying to figure out why all his mops were suddenly turning the floor green this very minute."

Cadance shrugged and nodded, a look of acquiescence on her face. Cati had a point. "You're right. But Bob Reynolds didn't give us that order. My uncle asked us nicely. We'll just have to wait for news from Hogwarts."

"Okay," said Cati, looking forlornly at the floor.

Cadance sighed. "If you let me sleep for two more hours, I'll make pancakes for breakfast."

"Okay!" Cati crawled over Cadance and slid under the covers with her. "Good night."

Cadance shook her head, and rolled over. "You better not kick me in your sleep."

* * *

It wasn't until two weeks later that Cadance received news from Hogwarts. It was not, however, from her uncle; it was from Fred Weasley.

"Cadance!" called Cati as the post arrived through the open window. "We've got a letter from Hogwarts!" She paid the post Owl that delivered the _Daily Prophet_ then promptly tossed it with the rest of the newspapers from that week, laying unread on the coffee table.

Cadance came out of her bedroom, pulling the sides of her wavy hair up out of her face and fastening it with a clip. "From my uncle?"

"Looks like one of the Weasley twins to me," said Cati, holding up the letter to show Cadance. It was addressed to Lieutenant Commanders Smarty-Pants and Goofy-Ass.

"I wanna be Smarty-Pants," said Cadance.

"Lovely," said Cati, opening the letter. She read it aloud as Cadance followed along.

_Dear Cadance and Cati,_

_I have to tell you about the amazing thing that happened, but George is reading this over my shoulder and he said that I have to tell you the less important things first._

_First, Ron's in Gryffindor. Yippee. No, really, we're happy for him and also this makes it easier for us to slip spiders in his bed. It'd be really hard if he were in another dormitory. We've been waiting to do that for years, ever since he made a stink about it the first time and Mum punished us real bad for it. But now Mum's not here. Incidentally, do you know where we can find a lot of spiders in the castle?_

_We've got Divination this year, and you know what that old bat told us? She said that we would 'get into trouble.' Well, duh. We had McGonagall right after and she gave us detention straight away for making funny faces when her back was turned. Honestly, how could McGonagall tell what we were doing? Maybe _she_ should be teaching Divination. _

_Also, Harry Potter's here this year and he's in Gryffindor, too. He's made friends with Ron. We saw him at King's Cross and Ginny nearly had a fit, she wanted to come on board the train to see him. He's actually quite cool. He's kind of quiet. I think he's just in awe, kinda like how the muggle-borns are when they first get here._

_And now the amazing news, which has to do with Harry Potter. _He can fly_. Incredibly well. He and Ron and the rest of the First-Years had their first flying lesson on Thursday. Ol' Hoochy was taking someone to the Hospital Wing and Harry caught a Remembrall in a 50-foot dive, and pulled out without a scratch. First time on a broom, too! McGonagall saw it from her office window and she brought him inside and took him to Oliver. He's going to seek for us now! She got Dumbledore to bend the rule about First-Years on the House teams. Watch out, Slytherin! Wood said that McGonagall told him privately that Harry's definitely the best Seeker Gryffindor has had since Charlie, and he'll probably end up _better_ than him. We're going to write to him now and let him know that he's being de-throned._

_Love,_

_Fred_

_(and George)_

"_McGonagall_ wanted to bend the rules. _Professor McGonagall_? Professor _Minerva_ McGonagall?" asked Cati, when she had finished reading.

"You know she always had a bit of a competitive streak," said Cadance. "She's probably just tired of facing your Uncle Severus after Gryffindor loses. We had some pretty dismal years after Charlie left."

"Yeah, but she never would have broken the rules for us," said Cati. "I think she likes him more than she likes us, and she's definitely known us longer."

"Yes, well, maybe if we were responsible for the downfall of the Dark Lord, maybe we would have been allowed a broomstick when we were First-Years, too," said Cadance.

"I'm going to go write her an angry letter," said Cati, starting for the desk in the corner.

"We've got to go to work" said Cadance, grabbing Cati by the back of her robes as she passed her.

"Oh, yeah. We'd better not be late for all the _sitting around_ we've got to do today," said Cati sarcastically.

* * *

Cadance and Cati were in Cadance's cubicle, putting the finishing touches on a letter to Fred and George (addressed to Thing 1 and Thing 2) when Bob Reynolds came around the corner. "Cadance. Catalin," he barked.

"What's up, Bob?" asked Cadance, folding the letter up and handing it to Cati, who stuffed it in an envelope.

"Are you two responsible for the post-it notes all over the walls in my office?" he asked, narrowing his eyes at them.

"Are you responsible for horrible color the walls are painted _underneath_ the post-its?" asked Cati.

"Don't the two of you have ANYTHING better to do all day than to cover my walls in 2-inch-by-2-inch squares of paper when I'm not there?!" asked Bob angrily.

"Um… not really," answered Cati. Cadance shook her head in agreement.

"What's the latest on the Gringott's break-in? It's been 6 weeks," said Reynolds.

"We've got nothing," said Cadance, shaking her head. "The Gringott's goblins are distinctly unhelpful. They run everything internally and they hate interference. They're supposed to let us know what _their_ investigation turns up, but I don't imagine they'll find anything."

"If someone is sneaky enough to break into Gringott's, they're probably smart enough not to leave a trail," said Cati.

"That's probably true," said Reynolds. "What do we know about the break-in?"

Cadance grabbed a thin blue folder off of the divider on her desk. She opened it up. "Sometime on July 31, a vault was broken into. When the goblins arrived at the vault, the culprit was nowhere in sight and the vault had been emptied earlier that day. The goblins did not disclose how the break-in was discovered, whose vault it was, or what the contents had been." She closed the folder and dropped it to the desk.

"Is that it?"

"Yup," said Cadance.

"Well, there's nothing more we can do with that," said Bob. "The goblins won't tell us whose vault it is or what was in it, so we can't even try to figure out who would want to break into it. And the Goblin Liaison Act of 1583 gives Gringott's goblins the control of everything inside Gringott's in the interest of their clients, without Ministry interference. Unless someone comes forward and says that it was their vault that was breached, there's nothing we can do about it."

"Great. What should we do with the rest of our afternoon?" asked Cati.

"Don't test me, Nuperson," growled Reynolds before stalking away.

"You gonna tell him that it was your uncle's vault?" Cati asked Cadance once Reynolds was gone.

"Nope," said Cadance.

"Or that it was the Sorcerer's Stone inside it?" asked Cati.

"Absolutely not," said Cadance, shaking her head.

"Great, let's go get a pizza."

* * *

"NUPERSON! DUMBLEDORE!" roared Bob Reynolds.

It was quite a while later, three days before Christmas Eve to be precise… and someone_—_I'm not going to name any names—had just transported several buckets of snow into the break room and then fled the scene of the crime.

Drew heard Bob Reynolds scream. A second later, Cadance and Cati ducked into Drew's cubicle and dove under his desk.

"We're not here!" hissed Cati. Drew rolled his eyes and slid his chair backwards to make more room for them, then went back to his paperwork.

About a minute later, Bob Reynolds stomped up to his cubicle. "Where are they?" he asked, sneering a sneer that would have made Severus Snape proud.

"I have no idea," deadpanned Drew, while pointing emphatically at his desk.

"Girls, if you do not get out from under there immediately, I'm going to _set fire to it_," hissed Bob. There was a pause, where nothing happened. "Drew, get back," Bob said, rolling up his sleeves and holding out his wand.

"Whoa," said Drew, hopping up and getting out of the way. "Are you kidding me?"

Reynolds flicked his wand casually and a harmless jet of light hit the metal desk, making a loud clanking noise. Cadance and Cati shot out from under the desk at the sound.

"Are you NUTS!?" exclaimed Cadance.

"Are _you_?" growled Bob, giving them the evil eye as they got to their feet.

"Are you sure you want an answer to that question?" asked Drew pointedly.

"Go get the break room cleaned up NOW!" barked Bob.

"Wow, Scrooge," said Cadance, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, you're like the Grinch," said Cati. "We're just trying to spread some Christmas spirit before we leave."

Cadance, Cati, and Drew were taking some vacation time. Cati and Drew were going to visit their muggle grandparents on their father's side, who they rarely got to see, for a few days. Cadance was going to see them off at King's Cross; the muggle grandparents preferred their grandchildren to arrive in a muggle fashion, since the last time Cati and Drew Apparated in, Cati landed on the cat. After seeing them off at King's Cross, Cadance was going to Romania to spend the holidays with Charlie and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Ginny. On Christmas Day, Bill, Drew, Cati, and Matt were going to join them.

"Just get the break room cleaned up before you leave," deadpanned Bob.

"Fine," said Cadance. "Come on, Cati, I've got an idea on what we can do with all the snow…" She and Cati walked off towards the break room talking in hushed tones.

"Can't you do something about them?" asked Bob, directing his question at Drew.

"I can't ask them to be any less than they are," said Drew, shaking his head.

"But can you ask them to stop using the break room as a playground?"

* * *

Professor Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, looking at his oldest friend. Sure, he had known some of his other friends longer, but at nearly seven centuries old, Nicholas Flamel was certainly his oldest.

"I've got everything worked out, Nicholas," said Dumbledore. He paused to take a sip of his tea. "I'll have the mirror moved to the end of chamber below the third floor corridor just after Christmas, and I'll put the Stone in it then. You're sure you still want me to hide it here at Hogwarts?"

"Albus, I'm more sure now than I ever was; this is the safest place for it," said Nicholas. "Someone tried to steal it out of Gringott's and they nearly succeeded. If Hogwarts isn't safe enough, then nowhere is."

"Thank you, for your vote of confidence," said Dumbledore, smiling at him over his tea.

"Besides, I've talked to your esteemed colleagues about the enchantments and I am _very_ impressed," said Nicholas. "I can't imagine someone getting by any one of them without having knowledge about it ahead of time, let alone getting past all of them… _Merlin's beard_,_ there is someone at your window, Albus_…" His attention had drifted off to the window to their left, on the other side of the office.

Dumbledore followed his gaze just as the window opened and Cadance climbed in out of the night. "Hi, Uncle Albus!" she said perkily. "Oh, I didn't know you had company…"

"What are you doing?" he demanded incredulously, getting out of his chair and quickly crossing his office to help her off the windowsill. He pulled her into a hug, then shut the window.

"I just saw Cati and Bill off at King's Cross, and I wanted to come say goodbye before I left," said Cadance. "I know we planned on seeing each other when I got back, but I had some time to kill."

"But through the window? We're five stories up!"

"Well, you wanted me to stay away so I wouldn't bump into Harry Potter and say something stupid, so I was sneaking through the castle so I _wouldn't_ see him...or he wouldn't see me, rather. But I nearly ran into Professor McGonagall around the third floor, and I didn't want to get yelled at, so I climbed out the window and I shimmied around the ledge until I was below your window and then climbed up," said Cadance.

"Where's your cloak? It's freezing out!"

"It got caught on one of the gargoyles," said Cadance, dismissively. "I'll get it on my way back down."

"Up until today, I would have assumed that I raised you better than to scale the castle in a snowstorm… without a cloak, no less," said Dumbledore, peering at her over his half-moon spectacles.

"Yes, well, I was raised by Scott and Abby Dumbledore before you got me; I was damaged goods. You did the best you could," said Cadance, patting his arm tenderly.

"Sit down, dear," said Dumbledore, successfully managing not to roll his eyes at his niece. He directed her into the seat next to Nicholas, as he went to pour her a cup of tea.

"Hello, Mr. Flamel," greeted Cadance.

"Cadance, my dear, you look lovely," said Nicholas, kissing her hand. Cadance giggled. "I certainly am glad you braved the wrath of Professor McGonagall and the dangers of scaling the castle to grace us with your presence this evening."

"Don't encourage her, Nicholas," rebuked Dumbledore, handing Cadance her tea. He sat back down at his desk.

"Nonsense, Albus," said Nicholas dismissively. "Youth is to be encouraged! Remember, Albus, you were young once yourself."

"Compared to you, I still am, my friend," said Dumbledore.

"Watch it. I may be nearing 700 years old, but I've still got some fight in me," said Nicholas. He winked at Cadance who suppressed a giggle.

"Well, since you're here, Cadance," said Dumbledore, peering at her over his half-moon spectacles. "You can give us a report from the Ministry."

"Absolutely nothing to report," said Cadance, shaking her head. "We've got absolutely no leads on who tried to steal the Stone from Gringotts'… although only Cati and I know that _that's_ what was in the vault. Nothing has happened that can be connected to Hogwarts. Nothing has happened _at all_."

"Whoever did this is flying below the radar. It was a long shot to hope that he made a mistake that the Ministry picked up on," said Dumbledore.

"I asked around at Tipsy's Tavern," said Cadance. "Kala pointed out some of her regulars who might be helpful. A few of the demons that I talked to assured me that a demon would never try to break into Gringott's. It's a sort of unspoken agreement between the Goblins and the demons. They leave each other alone. It had to have been a wizard who did it."

"I figured as much," said Dumbledore, sighing. "Wizards are drawn to immortality and gold. A demon would have no need for the Sorcerer's Stone."

"There has to be a connection between everything that's been going on," said Cadance, shaking her head. "There has to be something we're missing. It's right in front of us, but we can't see it."

"I'm afraid we're just going to have to see how things play out," said Dumbledore, shaking his head.

"Did you ever figure out what happened with Harry's broom at the Quidditch match?" asked Cadance. Dumbledore cocked an eyebrow at her. "I've been in touch with the Weasley twins."

"You're not responsible for giving them the idea to release cockroaches in the dungeons, are you?" asked Dumbledore. "No, I haven't quite figured out who cursed Harry's broom. I wasn't at the match; I had to meet with the Governors of the school. I'm afraid nobody noticed anything suspicious… or if they did, they're not forthcoming with the information."

"You're asking the wrong questions," spoke up Nicholas. They both looked at him. "The _why_ is more important than the _who_. The question isn't _who_ did it. The question is: What did they stand to gain? If you answer that question, you find out what, if any, connection there is between Potter and the Stone."

"It could be a coincidence," pointed out Dumbledore.

"It could be," conceded Nicholas, nodding. "The fact that young Harry and the Sorcerer's Stone arrived at Hogwarts at the same time is certainly a coincidence, so there could be no connection between Potter's almost-accident and the Gringotts break-in. There could be no connection between Potter and the Stone at all."

"I think it's _your_ job to find that out," said Dumbledore to Cadance.

"Alright, but there's one thing you _haven't_ seemed to think of," said Cadance. "It had to have been someone _inside Hogwarts _who jinxed Harry's broom, so if there _is _a connection between Harry's Quidditch incident and the Stone, then it had to have been someone _here_ who tried to steal it from Gringotts in the first place."

Dumbledore and Nicholas exchanged a look. They were quiet for a few seconds, then Dumbledore said, "Maybe, maybe not. Someone who can sneak into Gringotts without being caught could probably get to the Quidditch Match without being detected."

"I think it's _your_ job to find that out," said Cadance, winking at him.

"I've got faith in you, Albus. I'm still sure this is the safest place for it," said Nicholas, getting to his feet. "But now, I must get back to Perenelle. I'll see you soon, Albus."

Dumbledore and Cadance got to their feet as well. "I'd better be going, too," said Cadance. "Charlie is expecting me."

"I'll walk you out, and shield you from Professor McGonagall's wrath," said Nicholas.

"Oh, that'd be nice, thank you," said Cadance.

"Hold on," said Dumbledore. He grabbed a traveling cloak off of a hook in the corner and gave it to Cadance. "Take this. Stay warm."

Cadance gave him a hug. "I'll see you soon, Uncle Albus," she said. Dumbledore shook Nicholas's hand, and then they left.

Dumbledore waited until he was sure they were down the stairs before going to his fireplace. He took some Floo Powder from the jar in the mantle and threw it in the fire. He bent down and called, "Severus! Severus, could you come up here for a minute?"

He went and at back at his desk. By the time he reached it, Snape was stepping out of his fireplace. "You wanted to see me, Headmaster?" he asked.

"I need you to keep an eye on Professor Quirrell for me…."

* * *

Christmas in Romania with the Weasleys was a lot of fun. Cati, Drew, Bill, and Matt joined them on Christmas Day, which was filled with food, fun, Mrs. Weasley's sweaters, and a small, accidental Christmas tree fire which was only fueled more when Cati tried to put it out by tossing her alcoholic beverage on it. Luckily, Mr. Weasley was quick enough to save the tree. Incidentally, it was Cati's supposedly-indoor fireworks that started the tiny fire to begin with.

January passed quickly, and soon February was upon them. Cadance and Cati were lounging on their couch, debating what to do with their Saturday.

"Wanna go to Tipsy's?" asked Cati.

"It's 1:00," said Cadance, shaking her head. "Wanna play Chess?"

"No, it makes my brain hurt," said Cati. "We could go into the Auror Department and set up minigolf inside the supply closet."

"We can't. Bob Reynolds is in the office today," said Cadance.

"You know what we _could_ do…" began Cati, getting that glint in her eyes that Cadance associated with mischief, bad behavior, and some of the best times of their lives.

"What?" asked Cadance, intrigued.

"Fred and George's last letter said that there's a Quidditch Match today. Gryffindor versus Slytherin," said Cati, wiggling her eyebrows.

"We were kindly asked to stay away," said Cadance, breaking out into a grin, clearly not going to really argue with Cati.

"Well, we'll just try _really hard_ not to get caught," said Cati, with a sly grin.

A few hours later, Cadance and Cati were hiding in a broom cupboard in Hogwarts on the 2nd floor, close to the stairway. Cati had her ear pressed to the door. "Does it sound like everyone's gone yet?" asked Cadance.

"I can't hear if you keep asking me that question," said Cati. They were close enough to the Entrance Hall that they could hear as people started to file out of the castle more than a half hour earlier. "I can still hear people leaving, I think."

Cadance looked at her watch. The match was due to start in about 15 minutes. "Let's just use a disillusionment charm and get out of here and head to the Pitch. I don't want to miss any of it," she said.

"Alright," said Cati, straightening up. She reached into her robes to get her wand, but accidentally smacked Cadance, who was crouched too close to her. They both lost their balance and landed in a heap in a pile of cleaning products.

"Ouch!"

"Sorry!"

Suddenly, the closet was filled with light as the door was wrenched open. Severus Snape looked down on his niece and her friend with a world-class sneer on his face. If he was shocked at seeing them, he covered it well. Cadance and Cati stopped trying to disentangle themselves from the mops (and each other) and looked up at him, unsure of what to say.

After a few moments of silence, Snape muttered "Unbelievable." Then he slammed the closet door shut, plunging Cadance and Cati back into darkness.

"I think he forgot to punish us," whispered Cati.

"Let's get the hell out of here before he remembers and comes back."

* * *

Cadance and Cati, under the cover of a Disillusionment Charm, made their way down to the Quidditch pitch behind the rest of the school, and took a seat in the back corner of one of the stands.

Cadance nudged Cati with her elbow. "Looks like your uncle is refereeing the match."

"10 galleons says that Fred Weasley hits a bludger at him," said Cati.

"You're on."

The players took off and Cadance and Cati kept their eye on Snape. "Why do you suppose he's refereeing?" asked Cati.

"Maybe because of what happened the last time with Harry's broom," said Cadance. "Whoever cursed it could try again."

"Yeah, but why _my uncle_? He hates Harry," said Cati. "Plus, he's biased against Gryffindor. Even McGonagall would be better than him; she'd at least be fair about it. Why not her?"

"And the lovely Gryffindor Chasers dodge around the beastly Slytherin…"

"JORDAN!"

"Ah. She's busy," said Cadance. Cati stifled a giggle.

"Ha! Ten galleons to me! Fred just hit a Bludger at my uncle!" said Cati.

"Nope. That was George."

"Damnit," hissed Cati. "That should count!"

"Why?"

"Because it should."

Just then, Harry went into a dive. "Damn, looks like the match is over already," said Cati.

Cadance however was looking in a different direction. "I think Ron Weasley just jumped Lucius Malfoy's son!"

"Alright, Harry caught the Snitch," sighed Cati. She looked at her watch. "What do we do with the rest of our day?"

Cadance sighed and shrugged. "Wanna go to work?"


	16. A Dragon and a Boogieman

Disclaimer: I don't own anything that you recognize as someone else's

* * *

Cadance and Cati sat in Cadance's cubicle with the classified sections of the _Daily Prophet_ and several muggle newspapers opened on the desk. Cati heaved a sigh and looked at her watch. "It's almost 5:00," she said. "Let's call it quits for the day. Matt will be here to pick me up for dinner soon."

It was Valentine's Day and that morning Cadance and Cati's landlord had brought them a special Valentine's Day message: He had sold the building and everyone had to be out by the end of April.

"We're never going to find anything better than our little crappy flat," said Cadance, rubbing her eyes. "It's close to work and the neighbors don't question the strange potion smells coming from our kitchen."

"Cadance, Cati, did you two finish those reports from last week?" asked Jim Beaver, as he turned the corner into Cadance's cubicle. He did a double take. "Cati, what are you wearing?"

Cati looked down at her outfit. She was wearing a sky blue cardigan and a light grey skirt and heels. Her hair, which was usually pulled up into a pony tail, was down and in gentle curls. "Clothes," she said.

"Yeah, but those aren't your usual clothes," said Jim. "You look… nice!"

"Excuse me?" asked Cati shooting him a look.

"That's not what I meant! I mean… Cadance, a little help here?" Jim turned to Cadance with a pleading look in his eyes.

Cadance leaned back in her chair and folder her arms across her chest, clearly amused. "I think I'd like to see you get out of this one yourself," she said.

"Okay, what I meant was…" said Jim, turning back to Cati. "You always look _good_. But today you look _nice_."

Cati paused as she eyed him cautiously. Then she nodded. "Okay, you're forgiven," she said.

"So what's the deal?" asked Jim.

"It's _Valentine's Day_," said Cati. "Matt's picking me up here and we're going to dinner."

"Is it Valentine's Day?" asked Jim. "Oh, that explains all the pink memos flying around the office!"

"So I take it you don't have big Valentine's Day plans then?" asked Cadance.

"No," said Jim, shaking his head. "But I'd better go get my girlfriend some flowers or something, or I'm going to be in _trouble_."

Cadance looked at her watch. "5:00 on Valentine's Day? Good luck," she said.

Jim caught sight of Bob Reynolds walking by. "Hey, Bob!" he called, getting his attention. Bob walked over without looking up from a file he was flipping through. "What would you buy your girlfriend if it was after 5:00 on Valentine's Day and you forgot to buy her something and you didn't want her to know that you forgot it was Valentine's Day?"

Bob looked up, startled. "It's Valentine's Day? Aw, I'd _wondered_ why there were pink memos flying around!" he exclaimed. He caught sight of Cati and did a double take. "What are you wearing?"

Cati rolled her eyes. "I have a _date_!" she exclaimed.

"With who?' asked Bob.

"_Matt_," said Cati, clearly annoyed.

Bob scrunched up his forehead. "Are you still dating him?" he asked. "I thought your uncle would have killed him by now."

Cati rolled her eyes again. "No, we're still dating, and he's picking me up here and we're going to dinner."

Bob turned to Jim and asked, "So what are you going to do about Valentine's Day? Because I have to get something for my wife, or she's going to make me sleep on the couch."

"Whoa, wait a second!" exclaimed Cati. "Did you say _wife_? You're married?!"

"Uh… yes," said Bob.

"Well, why weren't we invited to the wedding?!" exclaimed Cati.

"Because you were a little busy finishing up your 6th Year," said Bob. "I've been married for almost three years. My wife's expecting a baby."

Cadance and Cati looked at each other. "We never finished our 6th Year," commented Cati.

"We could have made it to the Wedding," added Cadance. Cati nodded. They both turned and looked back at Bob.

"Okay, but I didn't know you when…. Wait, you didn't _finish your 6__th__ year_?" asked Bob.

"You're _married_?" repeated Cati.

"Hey, how come we've never met her?" asked Cadance. "She wasn't at Halloween Party or the Christmas Party..."

"Or the picnic and Inter-Departmental Quidditch match two summers ago," added Cati. "Or last summer's picnic _without_ the Inter-Departmental Quidditch Match."

"Okay, first of all, _you two_ are the reason last summer's picnic did not include an Inter-Departmental Quidditch match. Internal Affairs was _not happy_ about the turn that the game took after MacGinnon _accidentally_ almost knocked Peters off his broom and you two decided to retaliate…"

"Accidentally, my ass…" muttered Cati.

"And second of all, Angie is a muggle, so she doesn't come to Ministry events," finished Bob.

Cadance and Cati's faces lit up like it was Christmas again. "She's a muggle?! Can we play with her?!" asked Cati.

"We don't really know any muggles!" exclaimed Cadance.

"Yeah, I mean, my grandparents are muggles," said Cati. "But they don't really let me talk to their friends. I accidentally turned one into a tiny rabbit once when I was 12."

"Uhh… no," said Bob firmly. "Angie is not a _toy_."

Cati eyed him warily. "What else don't we know about you?" she asked suspiciously.

"_You didn't finish your 6__th__ year_?" asked Bob emphatically.

They paused. "Our personalities clashed with the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor's," answered Cadance, simply.

* * *

"Happy Valentine's Day!" called Kala, as Cadance walked into her bar. "Are you my date?"

"Cute," said Cadance shortly, taking her usual seat.

"What's up, buttercup?" asked Kala, pouring Cadance her usual drink and sliding it down the bar to her.

"Our landlord is selling our building. Cati and I have to be out of our apartment in less than 3 months," said Cadance.

"Don't you have a lease?" asked Kala.

"Sure. A month-to-month one," said Cadance. "Have you seen our apartment building? It's a dive. Tenants turnover like you wouldn't believe."

"Ouch. I guess you'll have to find a new place," said Kala.

The door opened and Bill and Charlie walked in. Kala went to get them their usual drinks as they took their seats next to Cadance. She explained her and Cati's apartment situation to them.

"You know where you should look for an apartment? In the newspaper," said Bill, pointing at Cadance.

"Yeah, we've already started looking through the classifieds in a few newspapers," said Cadance.

"No, no, no," said Bill, shaking his head. "Not in the classifieds. In the obituaries." Cadance, Charlie and Kala all stared blankly at him. "What? That's how I found my place."

"So how was work?" asked Charlie, changing the subject.

"Today we found out that Bob Reynolds is married," said Cadance.

"Really?" asked Bill.

"Yeah, and his wife is expecting a baby," said Cadance.

They looked up as the door opened again and Drew walked in. "Kala!" he called, getting her attention. She nodded and got him a drink as he joined the group, taking a seat next to Bill on the end.

"Did you know Bob Reynolds is married?" Cadance asked him.

"Hello to you, too, pumpkin," said Drew.

"Hello," said Cadance. "Did you know Bob Reynolds is married?"

"Sure, I was at the wedding," said Drew, nodding. "His wife is going to have a baby."

"Why didn't Cati and I know this?" asked Cadance.

"Probably because you two are busy living in Cadance-and-Cati-Land, not caring what's going on in the real world," said Drew.

"Bill, smack him for me," said Cadance. Bill smacked the back of Drew's head causing him to spit out his beer.

"Hey!" exclaimed Drew. Bill pointed at Cadance.

"She made me," he said.

"So did you two find a place to live yet?" asked Drew.

"No," said Cadance, heaving a sigh. "We looked through the paper…"

"Oh, did you check the obituaries?" asked Drew. Bill clapped him on the back and nodded.

"What is wrong with you?" asked Kala, shaking her head at them.

Drew ignored her. "Well, you and Cati can stay with me until you find another place if it comes down to it," said Drew. Then he looked towards the ceiling, distracted, as a new song came out of the magical speaker in the corner. "Oooh, I love this song."

"Why don't you guys look outside of London?" suggested Bill.

"We might have to," said Cadance, shaking her head. "I guess we could Apparate to London every day."

"Oh, it's not so bad," said Drew, taking a break from playing air guitar to participate in the conversation. He lived in his and Cati's family home outside of Leeds and Apparated into work every day. "You get used to that funny sensation quicker when you have to do it every day." He went back to playing air guitar.

"I guess it wouldn't be too bad," said Cadance, shrugging.

"_It's more than a feeling…when I hear that old song they used to play!_" sang Drew.

"Oh, boy," said Bill, putting his face in his hands.

"_And I begin dreaming…'til I see Marianne walk awaaaaaay_."

"That's going to be your new roommate…" said Charlie, putting his hand on Cadance's shoulder.

"_I see my Marianne walking awaaaa-aaay!_"

"I need to find an apartment."

* * *

About three drinks and four muggle songs from the '80s later, Cati and Matt showed up to join them. They took their seats at the bar just as Drew was finishing up his rendition of _You Give Love a Bad Name_.

"Drew, shut up," barked Cati at her brother. "I'm having a nice evening and you're not allowed to ruin it by singing Bon Jovi songs."

Drew immediately shut his mouth. "Oh, thank Merlin," said Charlie. "You missed _Pour Some Sugar On Me_."

"It made me throw up in my mouth a little," added Cadance. "And that goofball offered to put us up."

"What?" asked Cati, cocking her eyebrow at her brother.

"If you and Cadance can't find a place by the time you have to move out, you can move in with me until you find something," said Drew.

"You mean back into the house?" asked Cati, looking unamused. "The house where I used to live? The house where I found out that our mother and father were murdered by the Death Eaters? The house that I haven't spent more than an hour or so in since I was 9? Is that what you're saying, Drew?"

"You are _eventually_ going to have to get over that," said Drew, shaking his head. "Plus, you know, we've got that big back yard. You can set up a crossbow range if you come visit more."

Cati looked contemplative for a second. "Ooh, I've always wanted one."

Suddenly, Matt grabbed her arm. "Don't look for a flat," he said, looking like he came to a sudden realization.

"Look, I'm not going to move in with my brother just to get my own crossbow range," said Cati. "I just might visit him more instead of making him come to me…"

"No," said Matt, shaking his head and locking eyes with her. "Move in with me."

"But you only have a one bedroom apartment. It'd be awfully hard to fit all three of us in there…"

Cadance tapped her glass on the bar to get Cati's attention. Cati looked at her. "Not me. Just you," said Cadance, shaking her head.

Cati turned back to Matt. "You mean… not live with Cadance anymore?"

"Well… live with _me_," said Matt. "But yes, by default, not with her."

Cati turned back to Cadance. "We can't live together forever, Cate," said Cadance, shrugging. "It's your call."

Cati looked back and forth from Cadance to Matt, then broke out into a grin. "Okay, let's do it," she said. Matt grabbed her face and kissed her. After they broke off, she said, "But I get to have a sleepover with Cadance every week…"

Just then, the door opened and Jim Beaver walked in, looking rather disgruntled. He joined the small group at the bar. "Shouldn't you be with your girlfriend right now?" asked Cadance.

"What girlfriend?" he said, pointedly.

"She didn't like that you forgot Valentine's Day, huh?" asked Cati.

"Definitely not."

* * *

Cadance was perusing some paperwork in her cubicle the following Monday, silently complaining that that was all she ever did, when she got an unexpected visitor.

"Busy protecting the Wizarding world, dear?"

Cadance looked up and smiled. "Uncle Albus," she said. She stood up as he entered her cubicle. She gave him a peck on the cheek and then sat back down. He sat down in the chair across from her desk. "What brings you to the Auror Department?"

"I had to meet with some people from the International Confederation of Wizards and I thought I'd stop in to say hello," he answered. "I got your letter this weekend. Have you and Cati had any luck finding a new place to live?"

"Well, Cati's actually going to be moving in with Matt," said Cadance. "I'm looking for a place on my own."

"Moving in with Matt? Does Severus know about this?" asked Dumbledore, raising an eyebrow.

The answer came from one cubicle over. "Don't tell him!"

"Cati," said Cadance, nodding to the cubicle to her left.

"Hello, Caitlin," said Dumbledore, speaking up.

"Hi, Professor Dumbledore!"

"So, living without Cati?" said Dumbledore, turning back to Cadance. "Are you ready for that?"

Cadance shrugged and gave him a half-smile. "Cati and I can't live together forever," said Cadance. "Besides, it'll probably be better for Jen if, when she returns to our world in a couple months, I'm not living with Cati. Social Services will be all over us in a second."

"I can hear you!" called Cati.

"Love you, Cate!"

"It's good to see you being optimistic about your sister," said Dumbledore, smiling at Cadance. "The last time we talked about it, you were quite distraught."

The Ministry still hadn't found Jen, and their search was suspended. Dumbledore was insistent that it was not time to worry yet. Cadance had needed some reassuring in the beginning, but now she was sure that her uncle wouldn't be so confident without good reason. In a few months, Hogwarts letters would be sent out. Dumbledore was sure that Jen would be back with them by that time.

"She's alive, Uncle Albus," said Cadance, nodding. "I know she is. She'll find us."

"Have you given any thought to where you might live?" asked Dumbledore.

"Actually, I had thought about that. I think maybe…" said Cadance. She paused, and it looked like she was picking her next words carefully. "I might move back to Godric's Hollow."

Cati's head popped up over the cubicle wall, her arms resting on the ledge. "Seriously?" she asked.

"You do know that Godric's Hollow is deserted, my dear?" asked Dumbledore.

"I know," said Cadance. "But it _was_ my home once. Maybe it can be again. I inherited a house; I might as well live in it."

Cati made a strange noise then her head disappeared from over the ledge. Then they heard a loud thud. "Ow," said Cati flatly.

"You were kneeling on your chair?" asked Cadance, with a sigh.

"It's the stupid wheels!"

"Sorry, what were we saying?" asked Cadance, turning back to her uncle and shaking her head.

"If you're sure that's what you want, then I think it's a fine idea," said Dumbledore, nodding appreciatively. "The house is yours… well, yours _and Jen's_. There's no more paperwork or anything, because all of that was taken care of years ago. There are some security spells that I put up years ago, so you'll need the original key to get in. I've got it back at Hogwarts and I can send it along to you this week."

"Thanks Uncle Albus," said Cadance. "And who knows… maybe there will be life in Godric's Hollow again some day."

"I certainly hope so, dear."

* * *

Cadance and Cati were building a card house on their coffee table when Charlie rolled out of the fireplace. They were on the third level of the house, and it was starting to look impressive. Half-packed boxes were all over the living room, in preparation for the move at the end of the month.

As Charlie stood up and brushed the soot off of him, he bumped the table, causing the house to fall over. The two girls gaped at the pile of cards with eyes wide.

"We've got a problem," said Charlie.

"I'll say we do! It took us two hours to build that!" exclaimed Cati. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't take my wand and shove it right up your…"

"Hagrid's got an illegal dragon," interrupted Charlie, holding up his hands.

"WHAT?!" exclaimed Cadance and Cati at the same time.

"Yeah. Ron just wrote me a letter. He and Harry Potter and their friend Hermione know about it, and they want me to take it so that Hagrid doesn't get caught," said Charlie.

"Well, you've _got_ to," said Cadance. "You will, won't you?"

"Of course," said Charlie. "They won't ask any questions at work. That's not even the big problem."

"I'm almost afraid to ask," said Cati.

"Ron said they think someone else knows about the dragon," said Charlie. He reached into pocket and pulled out a piece of parchment and consulted it. "Draco Malfoy. Do you think that's…"

"Lucius Malfoy's son," finished Cati, nodding.

"You're right, this is not good," said Cadance, shaking her head. "You've got to get that dragon out of there _now_ before dear little Draco tells Daddy what he knows."

"How do I get a dragon out of Hogwarts without getting caught?" asked Charlie.

Cadance and Cati looked at each other, thinking. "How many people do you think…" started Cadance.

"At least 3," answered Cati. "Does Ron's letter say how big the dragon is?" Charlie handed the letter over to Cati. She and Cati put their heads together as they read the letter.

"Better make it four, to be safe," said Cadance.

"Who else…" began Cati.

"I was thinking Drew and Matt," answered Cadance.

"Kala's a better—"

"Good point, but if we want to do this on—"

"Oh, you're right, she can't leave the bar then."

"What the hell are you two talking about?" asked Charlie, looking at them like they're crazy.

"We'll _fly_ the dragon out," explained Cati.

"We?" asked Charlie.

"Well, not you," said Cadance. "You just sit tight and wait for it."

"What, why?" asked Charlie.

"We have the perfect excuse if we get caught," said Cati. "We can say we were trying to visit our uncles."

"Tell Ron to have the dragon at the top of the Astronomy Tower at midnight on Saturday," said Cadance. "We'll swoop in and pick up the dragon."

"One problem," said Charlie. "_You_ promised your uncle you'd stay away from Hogwarts and _particularly_ Harry Potter. It sounds like Harry's in on this. What if he mentions to your uncle that he met you?"

"Oh, yeah, that'll go well for Harry," said Cadance sarcastically. "_Excuse me, Professor Dumbledore, but I think I met your niece the other night when I was lugging Hagrid's dragon up to the Astronomy Tower_… Trust me; he'll keep his mouth shut."

* * *

Drew and Matt didn't need to be persuaded to help them; they were on board immediately. They met up at Kala's bar and flew from there. Charlie and Kala were both there to see them off.

They flew for about an hour, making excellent time, until they could see the lights from the castle as tiny pinpricks in the distance. Cadance and Cati, out front, signaled to the two behind them to start their descent. As they slowed, Cadance pulled out her pocket watch. They were right on time.

They swooped down onto the tower, near two small figures in Hogwarts robes, standing next to a large crate. Cadance and Cati looked them up and down as they got off their broom. Drew and Matt dropped down next to them a second later.

"Hello," said Cati, pleasantly. "You must be Harry and Hermione."

"Where's Ron?" asked Cadance, glancing around.

"Hospital Wing," answered Harry. "Norbert bit his hand."

"Who's Norbert?" asked Matt.

"The dragon," answered Harry, pointing at the crate.

The four young adults glanced down at the crate, which was rattling.

"Oh, Hagrid," sighed Cadance, shaking her head.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to get the dragon to Charlie?" asked Hermione.

"Oh, sure," said Cadance, dismissively. "We've got a harness here, and we'll carry him between us."

"What if he… gets out?" asked Harry.

"We can handle it," said Cati, with a wink.

"We'd better hurry up though," said Matt as he and Drew started to fasten the crate into a harness.

"That's probably a good idea," said Hermione, as she, Harry and the girls moved in to help. "Professor McGonagall just walked by with Draco Malfoy. She was giving him detention and he was trying to tell her about the dragon. She didn't believe him but…"

"Yes, Charlie told us about the Malfoy boy," said Cadance, nodding. "We'll be long gone by the time she makes it back up here."

"Yeah, she's probably gone to get Professor Snape anyway," said Hermione.

"Snape?" said Matt, tensing up. He looked at Cati. "We gotta go. _Now_."

Cadance leaned in to Harry and Hermione and whispered, "He and Snape… never mind, it's a long story."

"Alright, that should do it," said Drew, straightening up. They each took a strap from the harness and strapped it to their brooms.

"Watch for Filch on your way back to Gryffindor Tower," cautioned Cati, as they all mounted their brooms.

"Thank you," said Harry, sincerely. He sounded relieved that the dragon was about to leave.

"Not a problem," said Drew, nodding

They exchanged handshakes and goodbyes. Drew and Matt took the lead this time and they took off, the dragon swinging gently between them. Cadance turned around and could see that Harry and Hermione were watching them fly away, waving.

"Be careful, Harry," whispered Cadance, before turning back to face the road ahead.

* * *

It took about 7 hours to get to Charlie's house. Charlie was waiting for them on his back porch when they landed in his yard.

"Everything went okay, then?" asked Charlie, as they dismounted the brooms. Norbert began stirring in his crate, aware that they were no longer flying.

"Just fine," said Drew.

"Er… well, your brother wasn't there," said Cadance. "The dragon bit him. He was in the hospital wing."

Charlie took a peak inside the crate. "The Ridgeback's fangs aren't fully developed yet. Ron will be fine," he said, shrugging it off. "Who was there to greet you then?"

"Harry Potter and the Hermione girl Ron mentioned in the letter," said Cadance. "It looks like we got the dragon out just in time. Hermione said that they saw McGonagall yelling at Lucius Malfoy's boy and he tried to tell her about the dragon."

"Did she believe him?" asked Charlie.

"They said she didn't," said Matt, shrugging.

"What's going to happen to Norbert now?" asked Cati, peaking into the crate.

"Norbert?" asked Charlie, cocking an eyebrow at the name. "Really?"

"Hagrid named him," said Cati shrugging.

"A few of the guys from work should be here soon," said Charlie. "We'll let him lose with the colony. We've got a nesting mother whose eggs got trampled by another dragon a week ago while she was out foraging for food. She keeps guarding the nest, though, so she's still trying to nest. There's a chance she'll try to mother Norbert."

Cadance tried to suppress a yawn. "What time is it?" she asked.

"About 9:15," said Charlie, looking at his watch.

"7:15 in England," said Cadance, looking round at Cati, Drew and Matt. "We've got to be at work in under 2 hours."

"Not me, I've got the 2nd day shift at St. Mungo's," said Matt. He was still completing his medical training. The trainees were assigned to one of the four shifts each day. There were two during the day and two at night. It rotated each week.

"Lucky bastard," said Cati. At least that's what she tried to say. It came out muffled due to the yawn.

Matt was going to respond when 3 large men Apparated in amid the five friends. They greeted Charlie in Romanian and he directed them to the crate. They looked inside and talked in very rapid Romanian.

"What do you think they're saying?" asked Matt.

"They're saying that they think Norbert is young enough that the Mama Ridgeback will take him in," said Cati.

Matt stared at her incredulously.

"Alright, we've got to go take a nap before work," said Cati. "Charlie, we'll see you later. Thanks for everything. _Baftă_, fellas." The Romanians smiled and nodded at her. Cati turned on the spot and Apparated out. Drew nodded at Charlie then followed.

Cadance was about to follow as well, when Matt grabbed her arm. "Cati can speak Romanian?"

"I don't know if you've noticed or not, but Cati's got a knack for words… in almost any language," said Cadance. "_La revedere_, Charlie." She winked at Matt, then turned on the spot and was gone.

* * *

Moving day. It was time for Cadance and Cati to say goodbye to their little flat. Most of Cati's stuff was already at Matt's; she had been moving it over little by little for the past few weeks. She just had one suitcases left on the day that they were supposed to move out.

Cadance had used magic to send all of her boxes to her home in Godric's Hollow the day before. Her uncle had sent the key to her two weeks prior. She had just a duffle bag to transport with her that morning.

Cadance and Cati stood in the living room, looking around their nearly-empty flat. All that remained was the furniture that was there when they moved in.

"I can't believe we're leaving," said Cati, shaking her head.

"It was bound to happen sooner or later," said Cadance, shrugging.

"We should probably go," said Cati, heaving a sigh. "I'm going to miss you." She threw her arms around Cadance and pulled her into a big hug.

"Cati, I'm going to see you in about two hours," said Cadance, trying not to laugh, as she returned the embrace.

"Yeah, but we won't be roommates anymore," said Cati. "We've lived together since we were 9!"

"It's been a while," said Cadance, nodding. "Its time."

Cati finally released her friend. "Alright, I'm just going to finish unpacking a few things at Matt's and then he and I will be over to help you unpack," she said, reaching down and picking up her suitcase.

"Alright, I'll see you in a bit," said Cadance. She reached down and picked up her duffle bag. She took one last look around then took a deep breath. She winked at Cati, then turned on the spot and Apparated out.

* * *

Cadance hesitated for a moment on her front stoop. Godric's Hollow was lonely and deserted. Behind her, the remnants of the Potter's house was an unfortunate reminder of what had forced her from Godric's Hollow in the first place, and also a reminder of what lay ahead. To the left, Sirius's house was abandoned. Remus's lay to her right. Also abandoned.

Cadance put the key in the lock, opened the door, and stepped through the threshold of her childhood home for the first time in over ten years.

The air was stale and it was dark. Cadance gave a casual wave of her wand and the lights flickered on. She walked through the foyer into the living room, where she paused to look around.

Sheets draped all the furniture. The windows and fireplace were boarded up. A thick layer of dust coated everything. All of the boxes that she had packed up and sent were sitting in the middle of the living room.

"I figured you be along soon," came a gruff voice from behind her. Cadance whirled around, in search of the source and discovered a shadowy figure on the couch, reading a newspaper from October of 1981. Though there was a little light in the room, he appeared to be in shadow, and quite transparent.

Cadance gasped and raised her wand, taking a step backwards. The shadow didn't appear to be phased by the wand pointed at him. He folded up the newspaper, set it on the coffee table and stood up, stretching. "How did you get in here?" asked Cadance, keeping her wand trained on him.

"Oh, I've been here for a while," he said, yawning. "Which one are you?"

"What?" asked Cadance, confused.

"_Which one are you_?" repeated the shadow. "Are you Cadance or are you Jen?"

"How…" began Cadance, trailing off.

"The boxes showed up yesterday. That means you must have the key to the front door, which means that either the one of the Dumbledore girls have returned, or they've sold the house. But nobody's come to _look_ at the house, so I would think that you must be one of the Dumbledore girls."

"Who are you?" asked Cadance.

"I am, most unfortunately, a shadow of despair, left to fester and grow for the past..." he trailed off. "Well, however many years it's been. I've no way of keeping track."

Cadance paused, as that statement sunk in. Realization dawned on her. "You're a boogieman."

"You may call me Frank," said the boogie man.

"I've never met a boogieman who was quite so articulate," said Cadance, lowering her wand and setting her duffle bag down on the coffee table.

"Well, you've probably never met a boogieman as old as I am," he said. "Boogiemen are generally just a shadow, a cloud, a wisp of smoke, easily brushed away. We form in dark corners, when corners are left too dark for too long or with a spark of unhappiness. Usually, boogiemen wither away into nothingness again, but in special cases we grow. I was born of a spark of despair that was never dispelled."

"That's cheery," deadpanned Cadance. "How do I get rid of you?"

"I'm not sure that you can," said Frank.

"Is that a challenge?" asked Cadance.

"Which one are you?" repeated Frank.

"Cadance," she answered.

"Ah, I should have guessed," he said, smiling and nodding. "That spark of despair came from _you_. I was first formed the minute you opened your little mouth and screamed bloody murder the night your parents were killed."

"Shut up!" exclaimed Cadance.

"At first I was a tiny shadow with no form, tucked underneath this very couch," continued Frank, ignoring her. "Right under the spot where your head was resting when you got that terrible feeling, and knew your parents were dead. And then the house was deserted and I festered and became more whole with every passing day and now here I am."

"STOP!" shrieked Cadance, pulling her arm back and forming a fireball. She launched it at him, but it passed right through him and left a scorch mark on the wall.

Frank sighed. "I told you," he said. "So what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?" asked Cadance, clearly shaken.

"Well, I've grown to the point where I can actually leave the house, but I'll start to weaken if I can't return here," said Frank. "I could try to kill you, but that's messy and quite frankly, in addition to opposable thumbs and higher-reasoning skills, I've also formed a conscience. And you _are_ a Dumbledore, so I can only assume that _eventually_ you will find a way to vanquish me, and that's not really an ideal situation for me."

"What are you saying?" asked Cadance.

"I'd like to stay," he said.

Cadance paused and looked around the living room. She could feel the size of the house all around her and suddenly she felt lonely. She missed Cati. She sighed.

"You can have the basement."


End file.
